should not be only Musquet proof but Cannon proof stand out not only agaiâ—st afflictions lesser judgments but stands out against great judgments many times against miraculous judgments why here is a strange stoutness and hardness in every mans heart Oh what a dead sleep is every man by nature cast into you will say that man is in a dead sleep that though he be shot at it cannot wake him that he should sleep secure when the house is on fire about his ears truly this is the condition of every man by nature though God do lay Cannon shot against him and though God set on fire the world about his ears yet still he sleeps what a strange condition is the state of nature Let us all take notice of it and set us all bewail it in the presence of God seeing how woful it is and what we are like Secondly If Miracles cannot convert a soul Vse 2 then what a Miracle is it that any soul is converted truly we may stand and wonder that any soul should be brought home to God how many Mâ—racles is in this work of conveâ—sion to convert a soul to God 't is a greater Miracle then to open the eyes of the blind to give strength to lame to give life to the dead a greater Miracle then to turn darkness into light a greater Miracle then to beat down strong Cities with seven Râ—ms horns 't is a greater Miracle then to make the world he spake and it was done it was made he spake his word and the world was created but God speaks again and again once and twice and often before the new creature is formed before Many Miracles in the conversion of a soul to God faith is created in the heart of man and truly Brethren you need not wonder that so few are brought home to God that 's not the Miracle but stand and wonder that any should be brought home to God there are many Miracles in the conversion of the soul to God I beseech you take notice of them there is a Miracle of First Miraclâ— of wisâ—dâ—m of wisdome there is a Miracle of wisdom I say in the conversion of a soul that God should find out a way to reconcile himself to a sinner and then reâ—oncile the sinner to himself here is infinite wisdom to finde out a way to reconcile himself to the sinner to find out a way to satisfie both justice and mercy that they should meet each other and kiss each other and both be satisfied that justice should say I have enough and Mercy should say I am well pleased and both be glorified in Christ Brethren here is a way that men and Angels could never have found out here is a Miracle of wisdome to reconcile the sinner to God also here is abundance of the wisdom of God that God should finde out a way to make a rebellious sinner come in and submit when he had stood out long and stood many batteries that God had layd against him that the Lord should bring him in by a word of his grace that God should come and catch a poor soul and take him before the soul be aware here is abundance of holy wisdom truly none could do this but only God And as there is a Miracle of wisdom so there Secondly Therâ— is a Mirâ—â—le of Power is a Miracle of power in every souls conversion Oh wonderful power hath God put forth to overâ—ome the creature and to overcome himselâ— To overcome the creature to make a stubborn stout hearted sinner relent to shake the Oaks of Bashan and make the Cedars of Lebanon to stoop Yet truly this is the work of God he put abundance of power into a word of his and when an obstinate sinner hath stood out boâ—h the allurements of Mercy and hath out stood all the batteries of Judgment that God hath laid against him God hath sent out many Armies of judgments to bring him in and they have returned back again and have not done their work and that yet the Lord at last should be pleased to arme a word of his a poor naked word of his with so much power â—o give such authority and to give such commission as to go and bring in the stout hearted sinner and make him fall down at the footstole of Jesus Christ here is a Miracle of power and then that God should overcome all his wrath and all his fury and indignation and say it is not in me I give thee leave to draw nigh to me in my Son fury is not in me that God should overcome himself to stoop to the creature that the Majesty of Heaven should first stoop to the creature that the Prince should come and beseech the Rebel to accept of mercy offer the first tearms of peace and not looking to the infinite distance that is between him and the creature but lay that aside and beseech a poor creature to accept of mercy here is a Miracle of power And then there is a Miracle of goodness a Miracle of mercy in every souls conversion a Miracle of mercy that God should pardon the sin of his people from Eternity Oh the Miracles of mercy writes the pardon gives the pardon into the Sons hand that he should work it over by Covenant and make all sure for his people in Christ even from Eternity even to give Christ a pardon for his peoples sins many thousand years before the sins are committed I do not say the pardon is given out to them before they are brought in to submit to Christ but it is given out into the hand of Christ that if they come and submit to Christ 't is in his hand to give it out 't is already written and Sealed here is a Miracle of Mercy Again that the Lord should so freely and so fully bâ—ot out transgressions that he should make the sins committed to be as if they had not been committed there shall no more remain of them as if they had never been acted to bury them to cast them behind his behind his back to throw them into the depth of the Sea to carry them into the wilderness into a land of forgetfulness that when they are sought for they shaâ—l not be found they shall be as if they had never been what a Miracle of mercy is this that God should bear no old grudge to a poor sinner a Rebel one that have stood out against him and yet that God should retain no grudge in his heart but receive a poor soul into his Bosom as if he had never been defiled to receive him into his own boâ—els into intimate communion and acquaintance with himself in love as if he had never bin a Râ—bel to bear no old grudg here 's wonderful rich mercy Again for God to account the soul righteous to look upon him as righteous when he is unrighteous to look upon him as righteous in Christ when he is full of spots and polutions and deâ—ormity
the people of Christ expect the presence of Christ in their afflictions 183 Object But we have no promise of it now as the Saints had formerly 84. Answ 1. Though God speaks not now from Heaven yet we have a larger word written 2. We have the spirit given more abundantly then at that time to particularize the Promises to us Where is shewed how we may know it is the Spirit that brings the Promises to us 185 186 Object But sure Christ is not with one in affliction Why is it so and so with me then Answered in three particulars Use 5. To teach the people of God thankfulness 1. Because God leaves them not alone in their low conditions 2. Because he affords them his presence therein 187 Objections of such as say they finde not Christs presence with them in afflictions answered and directions given in such a case 190 c. THE First Sermon On DAN III. XXV He answered and said Lo I see four men loose walking in the midst of the fire and they have no hurt and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God THe School of Discipline which God trains up his Children in teemeth to have very severe Staâ—utes and strict Orders that are not joyous to the flesh but they are exceeding profitable for the Spirit there is no School in the world in which there is more to be learned the Lord Jesus himself is the head Master in this School who learned obedience perfectly by the things that he sufferd and so he knew how to teach his School â—s I may say the Lord Jesus will teach his Scholars all kind of weapons that they may be fit for all assaults he will make them good at any exercise before he leave them In the 11. of Hebrews you have a Role of the several exercises they were put upon beginning at the 36. verse Others had tryals of cruâ—l mockings and scourâ—ings yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments thâ—y were stoned they wâ—re sawn asunder were tempted were slain with the sword they wandred about in sheeps skins and goats skins being destitute afflâ—cted tormented and he teaches them how to conquer all these The Apostle here doth speak of these as Conquerors through faith in the verses foregoing see what gloâ—ious Conquests they had In the 33 34. verses Who through faith subdued Kingdomes wrought Rigâ—teousness obâ—ained promises stopped the mouths of Lyons quenchâ—d the violence of fire escaped the â—dge of the sword out of weakness were made strong wâ—xed valiant in fight turned to flight the Armies of the Aliâ—ns Here are glorious victories that the Saints had through faith over all the evil that they met with in the world you have an instance of this in the Text. In the Chapter where the Text is you shall read there of three Schollars of Jesus Chrisâ— â—hat were put to hard exeâ—cises they were put to it to grapple with he flames of fire and they had all manner of disadvantage and yet they went on Coâ—querors they had to deal with the wrath of the King He was exceeding wrath and his countâ—â—â—â—câ— câ—â—nged Tâ—ey had to deal with the flames of fâ—re and flames tâ—at were made seven times hotter than ordinary So the King gave commandmâ—nt as you read in the 19. verse thâ—t they should heat the Furnace seven times hotter than ordinary Again they wâ—re bound hand and foot for so the King gave commandment in the 20 21 vers And they took them and bound them and cast them bound into the Furnace yet the Lord he made his servants Conquerors notwithstanding all their disadvantages You have in the Text the confession of the very enemies themselves tâ—e King said Did I not cast three men bâ—â—â—nd into the Furnace and Lo I see your men walking I see four men walking in the midâ—â— of the fire and they have no hurt So then in the Text you have witness given by the mouth of an enemy unto that great deliverance that God wrought for his three Servants Lo said the King himself I see four men loose c. where take notice of the several wonderful things that God wrought for these three children See how many wonders there were in this deliverance of theirs First of all there was this wonder That the The first Wonder iâ— the delivering of the three Children light of the fire continued and not the heat â—iz so as to work upon them this seems to be a great Miracle that light and heat should be seperated from the fire there was light the King saw them walking in the midst of the fire and yet that fire did not burn I say this could not be done without a great Miracle 'T is true they shall be separated in Hell light shall be separated from the flames of Hell When God will shew and testifie the greatness the fierceness of his wrath upon the disobedient there will be heat but no light â— flames there shall be burning and yet there shall be nothing but utter darkness Now when God will shew a Miracle of Mercy to his Servants here upon earth God so disposeth and orders it that there shall be light and no heat Secondly There was this Miracle that their number was not diminished but increased Lo I The Second Miracle see four men saith the King Did we not cast in three and lo I see four They had thought to cut off at once all that were disobedient to the sinful command of the King they had thought that the flames would have consumed them all three that there should not have been one left behoâ—d their number is increased since they begun to suffer their number is increased they have a fellow Martyr a fellow sufferer that is in the midst of them Again Thirdly Here was this Wonder this Miracle That the fire did burn their bones asunder â—he Third Miraâ—le but did not burt them I see four men loose say's the King â—id we not cast three men bound into the furnace and lo I see four men loose And what a wonderful work of God was this that the flames that were prepared to devour them should help them that the flames should burn their bonds and not hurt them Again Fourthly Here was yet another Miracle The Fourth Mirâ—cle that these men were seen walking in the midst of the fire The fire was prepared to be a Torment to them but the Lord made it a sweet walking fire that which was pretended to torment them it becomes a blessing to them they were walking each with other and lifting up the Name of the Lord â—n the midst of the fire Fiftly Here was this Miracle That the fire should remain fire and yet it should not burn tâ—em The Fifth Miracle I fee four men loose walking in the midst of the fire say's the King So that the fire was still fire it was not quenched some conceive that the Angel did quench the heat of the fire with some sweet dew or
there was not a thorow work of grace at this time wrought upon his heart Many works he did but yet they seem to be effects of a temporary faith Nebuchadnezzer notwithstanding all this he fell back again to his old way of supposition for in the fourth Chapter you shall read there of his Superstitious ways He dreams a Dream and he fends for the Sorcerers to tell his dream and he would have cut them off because they could not tell him his dream and reveal it to him which belongs to God to reveal secrets So that though great conviction I say post upon him which did rise from the present sight of the Miracle that was wrought yet Nebuchadnezzer at that time he was noâ— truly brought home to God So then we may observe this Proposition of Doctrine The second Proposition of Doctrine That it is not in the power of the greatest Miracles to convert a soul to God unless the Spirit of Jesus Christ step in I say it is not in the power of the greatest Miracle to convert a Soul to God Neither Miracles of Judgment nor Miracles of Mercy will do it Pharaoh King of the Aegyptians Instances to clear it he saw as many Miracles of judgment as one would have thought would have broken the most stoniest heart and made the most obstinat wretch to submit to God and yet notwithstanding Pharâ—ohs heart was not softened but hardned And all those Miraculous works of Judgment they made him harder The people of Israel they saw Miracles both of judgment and mercy and yet for the most part they were secure hard hearted unbelieving people they were a burden to God and a provocation to his Spirit All the time they were in the Wilderness what Miracles of judgmement did they see God smote some of them with fire from Heaven and consumed them God smote Miriam with Leprosie in the 12. of Numbers for her murmuring And the Lord consumed Corah Dathan and Abiram in Numbers 16. they were consumed and yet the people rebelled against God he sent fiery Serpents amongst them in the 21. of Numbers another Miracle of judgment and yet notwithstanding for all that they rebelled against the Lord They saw Miracles of Mercy also What wondrous works did God do for them in the Land of Aegypt What wonders at the red Sea in dividing the waters and made a path of life and death to go through life to the Israelites and death to the Aegyptians they saw his wonders in the Wilderness God led them in the day time by a pillar of light and in the night time by a pillar of fire He rained Manna from Heaven they eat Angels food he gave them water out of the Rock Moses smote the Rock and the water came out He rained feathered foul into their Camp that they all eat and wâ—re full And many other Miracles of Mercy they saw many Mercies which are expressed in the 78. Psalm but notwithstanding for all this you may see what this people was at the 8. verse of the 78. Psalm A stuborn and rebellious generation a generation that sets not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God This is the description that is given of their fore-Fathers They were a stubborn generaâ—ion rebellious a generation that set not their hearts aright and whose spirit was not stedfast with God Secondly As we have instances to prove it so we have the word of Christ to prove it to make it evident that it is not in the greatest Miracles of the world to convert a soul to God See what our Saviour saith in that 16. of Luke and the 31. 'T is the word of Abraham in the Parable he said unto them if you hear not Moses and the Prophets neither will you be perswaded though one rose from the dead The rich man in Hell he desires that one may be sent from the dead to give them warning why Abraham tells them they have Moses and the Prophets let them hear them and if they hear not Moses the Prophets nâ—ither wil they be perswaded though one rose from the dead The greatest Miracle in the world what ever it wil noâ— turn the heart to God it wil not make them to believe in his name though one should come from the dead thou God should send an Angel a Saint from Heaven that should be as a flying Angel to fly up and down in the world to speak the voice and tongue of an Angel though he should declare this to all the world that the glory of Heaven is unspeakable incomprehensible eternal the joy is everlasting they shall never be able to declare it though he should declare one hours injoyment of the presence of God and the Lamb it is more worth then ten thousand injoyments of all the pleasures of the world though he should declare it that there is but one way to Heaven there is but one door o enter in at and that 's only by Jesus Christ and his Righteousness and should tel you of ten thousands that shal not come there that sought to enter in their own way and by their own works and their own righteousness and they are all shut out though he should further declare that God hath now set Heaven doors wide open and that he is willing that poor sinners the worst of sinners should come to him by his Son and they shall be accepted and all their former iniquities shall be no block no rub in the way he will embrace them as freely as if they had never sinned against him I say if such a thing should be it would be a Miracle of Mercy but yet for all this it would not perswade the heart of one sinner to submit to God This could not overcome the heart of man to Jesus Christ And again on the other side if one should come from the dead God should send one from the pit of destruction to declare to bear witness of the unspeakable Torments that are there and should declare that way is broad and many walk in the way to destruction and that unbelief it is the readiest way Though he should declare that every man and woman living that seek not after Jesus Christ and hath not an interest in him are like sooner or later to come into the same Lake of condemnation It would be a tirrable Miracle of judgment but yet all this would not work upon the heart of one sinner no our Saviour says to such men and women that sit under the Gospel and hear what I speak from day to day and thereby are not wonted to submit to God Why neither would they beleeve though one should come from the dead Thirdly The Point may be further cleered by our own Experiences I say by experiences of our own days are there not many poor Creatures that have seen Miracles of Mercy that have seen God many times in wonderful way of deliverance towards them at such a time they were in
danger eminent danger at such a time they were nigh to death and what great promises and what great purposes came into their hearts and mouths and yet notwithstanding all that God hath done for them they have turned again to folly nay sometime they have seen and tasted as it were of the power of the world to come that God hath convinced them many times of the excellency of the way and the necessity of walking with him and the happy condition of the Saints they it may be have had some tasts some drops to cool their tongue and though they have had that Miracle of Mercy yet notwithstanding their hearts have gone back again and they have not bin converted and perswaded to come to Christ after a hearty draught of his love and good ness which might abundantly satisfie them others that have seen even Miracles of judgment God many many times hath wrought strong conviction in their conscience they have been as it were for the present hung over the flames of Hell and great thoughts have been darted into their spirits convincing thoughts of the necessity of seeking after faith they have seen as it were the mighty consequence of the soul the mighty consequence of the things of Eternity and yet have worn out all hints that have been made upon conscience and soon returned to their former ways of folly to folly desperate madnes others taken up in vanity taken up in the world others taken up in their own righteousness and think themselves whole and need no Physician notwithstanding all these Miracles of judgment how many are there that have seen them and have felt them and have not been brought home savingly by them But you will say how come this to pass what cannot miracles of works bring home a soul to God what then what miracles I answer first of all God would have it so that he might put a great glory upon his word he will Reason 1 have it known what the word of the Lord is he will make known the power and efficacy of it his word is more dear to him then his work more then all his works of Creation of Providence or Miracles though all perish yet the word of the Lord that endures that abides God will put a great deal of glory upon his word and therefore he hath chosen his word rather then Miracles though men think Oh Miracles are glorious and surely if God shew miracles that will convert that will bring home the soul to God but Gods thoughts are not our thoughts his waies are not our waies he knows that miracles cannot do it therefore he hath chosen his word he will make that glorious in the Conversion of sinners for the most part God works by his word it is true the word it self neither cannot do it the word without the Spirit is a dead letter but God is pleased to send his spirit along with his word when hee intends this work the spirit of the Lord shall come with some word from heaven that shall be effectual to turn the heart of a sinner when Miracles of judgment or mercy cannot do it it seems a weak thing to men but the word of the Lord is mighty and powerful When God is intended to catch any soul to bring it home commonly this is his Net he takes his word and throws that over them and that shall catch them When he is intended to beat down strong holds mighty Towers of lusts sinful imaginations that do exalt themselves against Himself and his Son and his Gospel why God is pleased to use his word as the battery which will do this great and glorious work Secondly It comes to pass from the desperate Reason 2 hardness that is in mans heart that aversness that is in the soul naturally to God it is the hardest matter in the world to bring God and the soul together Oh what striving is there in the gracious heart before it is brought to God it flies off from God and the soul is forced to put Arguments upon himself it may be again and again Why art thou cast down Oh my soul why art thou disquieted why trust in God Why trust in God He repeets it again and again and all too little to trust in God and to have confidence in God but there is much more aversness in a natural mans heart to God there is an infinite distance there is a contrariety and 't is a hard matter to bring off a soul to close with God to submit to him the greatest Miracle in the world cannot do it why when there is much peace in Gods heart there is war in the sinners heart yea when there is peace in Gods mouth too there is war in the sinners mouth when God doth call upon them come and behold the face of my Son and behold the face of my righteousnes I give thee leave to look to either me so thou look to me through my Son yet still he will have his heart draw back and he wil look to God through his own righteousness that of a creature or else run away from God hide himself in his own shame and confusion and dare not come to God And truly 't is a very hard thing to overcome the heart in this cause to trust God to rely upon him the heart is fille'd with slâ—very and 't is a very hard matter to overcome that slavery that is in the heart I tell you Miracles will not do it though it should see never so many Miracles when it is in that condition Miracles would not overcome the heart to trust in God to beleeve in God Miracles they declare tâ—e power of God and the glory of God hold forth the beams of his Majesty ay but there must be a declaration of the love of God and the mercy or God in Christ there must be a discovery of this to the soul before he can come in and submit to God and trust in him before the slavery can be overcome that is in the heart I tell you you must have a word a sure word to go upon for the soul dare not go to God he looking upon himself as stubble and upon God as a consuming fire and still he keeps off from God and therefore nothing but the word of the Lord can perswade the heart to come in and to trust and Application of the Point rely upon God Now let us make some Application Is it so that the greatest Miracle cannot convert a soul to God Why then First of all take notice what a Miracle of iniquity Vse 1 of sin is in every mans heart a stâ—aâ—ge thing that the heart of a man should be so haâ—dned against God and his own good who would think it that there should be so much stoutness in such a poor thing as the heart of man so small a pâ—ece of flesh to be so stout and so hard against God that no sword should be able to pierce it it
extort confession from the mouths of his greatest enemies Nevar man spake like this man And of a truâ—h this was the Son of God And then for this thing did Christ pray in the 17. of John that his Father would manifest so much of himself unto us his people and pour out so much of his Spirit upon them that the very world might know that he hath sent the Son and that he hath loved his people with the same love that the Son is loved and this did Christ promise unto his people to the Church of Philadelphia in the 2. of the Revelations and the 9. verse Behold I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan which say they are Jews and are not but do lye behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet and to know that I have loved thee Therefore hath Christ put so much power into his word that at least it might lay chains upon wicked men and convince men many times that God is in his word and that God is in his people When you Prophesie saith the Apostle and there comes in one that is unlearned the secrets of his heart is made manifest and so falling down on his face he will worship God and report that God is in you of a truth Therefore it is also that when God works great deliverances he doth so order it in his providence that his peoples enemies should be eye-witnesses and ear-witnesses of what God hath done for them yea sometimes Agents against their wills in doing good to the Saints So Haman was an Instrument in the promotion of Mordecai Yea Therefore it is that God works in such a glorious manner as must needs convince he works freely He works suddenly he works unexpectedly and he works solitarily Now Gods very manner of working deliverance for his people doth carry a great deal of conviction along with it As First of all wicked men they look upon the afflictions of the Saints they say Let our eye look upon Sion and let her be defiled Therefore doth the Lord make them to look with astonishment upon their mercies and deliverances God hath gracious ends even towards wicked men he would convince them by this he would lay blocks in their way thâ—t they might not take the running leap into Hell that they might not go on in their violence and persecution of the Saints I proceed to what remains Loe I see four men and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God There were three cast in and now there are four Now before we come to consider who this fourth man was By way take notice of the wonderful providence of God that a fourth man should be added to them that while they were in the midst of the siery Furnace while they were bearing witness against the Idolatry of Nebuchadnezzar and his peopâ—e while they were suffering Martyrdome for the Truth and for the Name or God here is a fourth added to them Certainly their enemies supposed that fire would soon have devoured them all that there should not be one of the three left to bear witness any longer against their wickedness and idolatry but how contrary doth God work to the expectation of them their number is not diminished but Loe there were three cast in and now thâ—re is four four men loose walking in the midst of the fire Therefore we shall consider this Proposition by the way before we come to the Main Observat 4. That all persecutions that the Devil or his Instruments do raise against the Saints shall not diminish their number but shall rather increase them I say all the opposition and persecution that the people of God meet with for the name and cause of Christ shall not diminish their number but shall rather increase them I shall make it evident to you Look upon Israels oppression by the Aegypâ—ianâ— which you read of in the 1 of Exodus 10. 11 12 13. Come say they let us deal wiseâ—y with them let us increase their task let us lay heavy burdens vpon thâ—m c. Thus they thought to have weakened their strength and to have brought them low but did this stratagem prevail no you shall read in the 12. verse That the more they afflicted them the more thâ—y encreased And therefore God did appear to that Church unto Moses in the 3. of Exodus God shews Moses there the vision of a Bush that was not consumed this did hold forth the state of Israel then a Bush all on fire and was not consumed such Bushes are all the Churches of Christ that men of the world may set them on fire many times but though they burn they shall not be consumeâ— yea the hotter any fire of persecution be against the Saints the more green shall this Bush be the more shall it flourish take root and grow and spread abroad her branches till it fill the whole earth This was represented unto Daniel in a vision in the third of Daniel The Kingdom of Christ is set forth there by a little stone cut out of the Mountains without hâ—nds the stone was a growing stone and although there were many hammers at work to break this stone in pieces yet they have not nor shall not prevail but the stone grew more and more and became a Mountain and filled the whole earth Under the Gospel I shall give you some instances of of it To begin First with Jesus Christ It was a main design that the Pharisees had to keep men from beleeving in Christ therefore they resolved that they would take some course to lessen the number of Believers to lessen the number of his followers See in John 11. what they feared and what course they resolved to set upon 11. 48. verse Oh say they if we let him alonâ— all men will beleeve in him and the Romans will come take away our place Therefore you shall read in the 52. verse that they gave counsel to put him to death to smite the Shepheard and the Sheep shall be scaâ—tered they would put him to death that they might not beleeve on him Behold how contrary doth God work to the imaginations of these foolish men for by that very thing by the death of Jesus Christ is so many thousand thousand brought in to believe in him they would put the Lord of life to death that they might not believe in him and it was the Fathers way to make men beleeve in him if I be lifted up Ioh. 12. 32. And I if I be lifted up will draw all men to me And they say if he be lifted up there shall be none drawn to him ay but If I be lifted up I will draw all men if I be lifted up upon the Cross if I be Crucified by this means will I draw all men to me For First Christ became a suitable object for a poor sinner a poor guilty sinner could never have looked upon a glorious Saviour but Jesus Christ he is clothed
Vineyard I the Lord will keep it I will watch over it every moment least any hurt it I will keep it night and day least any hurt it I will keep it night and day See then there is a special eye of providence over the Saints that are the Lords Vineyard and therefore 't is not possible the Creatures should hurt it God he watches over his Vineyard for this end least any hurt should befall it I will watch over it every moment 't is true other wicked men they are kept from harm by a common providence of God they have rheir lives preserved but still 't is but a common providence But there is a special eye and a special providence of God over his people least any hurt should befall them there is no time no moment that God doth lay aside his watchful eye and not watch over his people And therefore there is no time that any harmful creature can step in to his people to do them hurt they all come under the providence of God every creature comes under the providence of God and therefore the Lord he is able to prevent the harm Fourthly The Creatures they are all given to Jesus Christ as he is King as he is the great King All power is given to him in Heaven and earth Now Christ he hath reconciled the Creatures and therefore the creaâ—ures cannot be hurtful to the Saints the Lord Jesus Christ hath reconciled the creature He hath reconciled all things in Heaven and Earth and made them all friends and therefore the creature shall not do harm to the people of God See the Promise that is made to the Church in a special manner it shall be fulfilled in the latter Ages Hosea 2. 18. And in that day will I make a Covenant for â—hem with the beasts of the field aâ—d with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the Bow and the Sword and the Battle cut of the â—arth and I will make them to lye doâ—n safely This Promise is made to the Churches in the latter days When they shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall shall enjoy abundance of Jesus Christ when they shall have abundance of the Spirit of Christ why then shall those promises be fulfilled in a great measure they shall enjoy peace with the Creatures In that day I will make a Covenant with them in a special manner with the beasts of the field and with the fouls of Heaven and with the creeping things of the ground and I will break the bow and sword and there shall be no hurt in all my holy Mountain we are all reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus Christ And therefore they cannot hurt the Saints but do them good Briefly to make Application and so conclude If the fiercest of Creatures you see cannot hurt Application The fire it cannot hurt but it must do good when God commands take notice then of the mighty power of the Lord Oh know that he is a great King and his name is dreadful over all the world do but look upon the powerful command of God what effect it hath upon the Creatures 'T is impossible they should transgress he hath set them bounds that they cannot pass they are all ready to obey his Command if he say go they go and if he say come they come why this will make it evident That God is a God of infinite power to command so many Creatures so many thousand thousand Creatures as God doth order every day and that God should make them obedient to every command of his that none can transgress the least command but they must fulfill his word when he sets them about it Oh this declares that God is a God of infinite power and doth what he pleaseth Secondly What a shame is it to the sons of men that they will not submit to the Lord Will not the Creatures rise up in judgment against men When the Creatures fulfil the word of the Lord and you disobey the word of the Lord shall God have more service from senceless Creatures then from the sons of men that was made Lord over them Certainly this will be their iniquity another day and the very creatures will condemn them See what God says to that fire fire burn not it cannot so much as touch the hair of the head If God say to the fire fire burn their bands asunder set my children at liberty the fire it burns their bands and fetters and sets them loose that they were able to walk in the midst of the fire And so all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth and the Sea they all keep their bounds Hitherto shalt thou go and no further the Sea a raging Element it obeys the word of the Lord The Lord says to the Sun Sun run thy race it obeys stand still it stands still and is obedient Now shall all Creatures in their places obey the word of the Lord and shall not man Oh what a shame is this to the sons of men that they should disobey the word of the Lord That God should speak but one word to the Creatures and they should obey and that he should speak so many to the sons of men and they not obey That God comes again and again and speaks in his Ordinances and still man walks contrary to God when he lays a command upon them this is the command That you beleeve in Jesus Christ and renounce all your own righteousness and rely upon the Righteousness of the Son of God and still men disobey What a shame is it for man to disobey and all the Creatures that the Lord hath given to him to obey Thirdly Here is a great Incouragement and strong Motive to those that are strangers to God to come in and submit to him Oh that the Lord would perswade your hearts to come in and submit to him So long as you are strangers to God see the danger you are in you are liable to be harmed by all Creatures in Heaven and Earth they are all at the command of the Lord they all obey his word If God say to the least of Creatures go and take away the life of man avenge my quarrel upon such a Rebel the Creatures obey The Lord can arm the least of his Creatures a fly he can make that take way the life of man And therefore 't is a miserable condition to be a stranger to God and Christ to be out of Covenant with God you have no Covenant made for you and therefore you are left to harm of the Creatures every day Oh that the Lord would perswade you to come in to cast away your own righteousness and to submit to the righteousness of the Son of God and to make a close with him and with his Son and then all Creatures will take his part and if God be your freind they will be your freind and if God will not curse they