A SERMON Preached before the King's Majesty at White- Hall upon the ninth of February. 1605. By the Reverend Father in God, Anthony Rudd, Doctor in Divinity, and Lord Bishop of Saint David's. LONDON. Printed by Humphrey Lownes, for Clement Knight. 1606. TO THE READER. Having gotten the Copy of this Sermon here following and read it over once or twice, I thought it not unmeet to adventure to publish it for the common good of others, which shall vouchsafe to peruse it. Febr. 26. 1605. Thine in the Lord. T. S: PSALM. 3.8. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy people. THis Psalm was David's meditation, when he was forced to fly before his unnatural Son Absalon, who took up arms to deprive him of the kingdom, and mightily for a time prevailed against him. Herein first he falleth into an admiration, of the great number of his enemies conspiring his destruction, but falsely persuading themselves that God had forsaken him: Vers. 1.2. Secondly, he expresseth what confidence he put in God, and what assurance he had by him against all the assaults and attempts of his adversaries. vers. 3.4.5.6. Thirdly, he maketh petition for help, grounding his hope upon God's former protection: Vers. 7, Fourthly, he concludeth the Psalm with this Epiphonema: Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy people, Verse 8: In which words he ascribeth unto the Lord the power of saving them which be in peril, and that goodness whereby he provideth for the safety of his people, and heapeth upon them innumerable benefits and blessings: Now imagine with me, that David sitting aloft in his Chair of estate looketh down to his subjects saying, Salvation belongeth unto the Lord: And then casting up his eyes to Heaven, by an Apostrophe to God saith thus. And thy blessing is upon thy people. When Jonas had cried out of the belly of Hell, and the Lord had heard his voice, jonae, 2.2.6.9. and brought his life from the pit, than he pronounced definitively that Salvation is of the Lord. And when Solomon had considered advisedly of martial affairs from the beginning to the ending thereof, Prou. 21.31. he resolutely concluded, that the horse is prepared against the day of battle, but Salvation is of the Lord. By Salvation here, is understood temporal preservation from worldly troubles and perils: of the which I expound that in the 36 Psalm. Psa, 36 6. Thou Lord dost save man and beast. And thereof Saint Paul meaneth, when he saith to Timothy, that the living God, 1 Tim, 4.10. is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe. Seeing then that Salvation is of the Lord, vain is the hope of them, that without, or against God, put their trust in any worldly means. When Pharaoh pursued the Jsraelites, he reposed his undoubted hope of victory in his Chariots, Horses, and great Host of valiant armed men: but when the Lord came forth as a man of war against him, than he and all his were cast into the Sea, the deepthes covered them, Exod. 14. & 15.3.4.5. and they sank to the bottom as a stone. Who will set up his rest upon huge bigness & strength of body, after that the Anakims' were destroyed under the conduct of Joshua, Josh. 11.21.22. 1. Sam. 17.50.51 &. 2. Sam, ●1. 15.40. To the end. and Goliath with the other sons of Haraphah fell by the hands David, and his worthies? Leagues with foreign Princes are but a broken staff of reed without the Lord, for that we read of the Edomites in Obadiah, Obad. verse 7. that the men of their confederacy drove them to the borders. As for riches and treasures, Proverbs. 11.4 Solomon hath given this verdict of them, Proverb, 23.5. that they avail not in the day of wrath: but even when men should stand in greatest need of them, than they take them to their wings as an Eagle and fly unto the Heavens. Food and victuals are necessary for the sustentation of man's life: Ezech 4.16. Amos. 4 6. but God in his anger can easily break the staff of bread, and give cleanness of teeth in all our Cities. If fortifications would have served the turn, than might the Canaanites have been safe in their Cities, Deut 9.1. which were great & walled up to Heaven. What can Counsel, policy & worldly wisdom, effect of themselves, job. 12 20. seeing that Job hath observed that God taketh (at his pleasure) speech from the Counsellors, and judgement from the ancient. And this is one of salomon's Maximaes, Prou. 21.30. that there is no wisdom, neither understanding, nor Counsel against the Lord. In the time of sickness, without the Lord nothing availeth the Physician, as in the cause of Asa; 2. Chron. 16. ●● 2. king. 1.1.2. nor yet the God of Ekron, as in the case of Azariah. And that we may know that no mortal man, nor all the sons of men put together can save us without the Lord, therefore we are advised by the Prophet Jsay to cease from the man whose breath is in his Nostrils: Isay. 2.22. for wherein is he to be esteemed? jonae. 2.8. Jonas hath uttered all this in few words, saying: They that wait upon lying vanities (that is, which depend upon any thing save God alone) forsake their own mercy) 1. they refuse their own felicity, and that goodness which they should otherwise receive of God. Wherefore let every one of us, Psal. 73. 2●. take first into his heart, and then into his mouth the words of the Psalmist saying to Almighty God. Whom have I in heaven but thee? And I have desired none in earth with thee. Thus hitherto it appeareth that Salvation belongeth to the Lord only. And by that which next ensueth it shall be manifest that Gods help alone is sufficient for us. For when the Lord in Jsayes' times perceived all things to be out of order, both in the Church and the Commonwealth, namely that judgement was turned backward, Isay. 59.14 15. ●6. & justice stood far of, that truth was fallen in the street, and equity could not enter, and that he which refrained from evil, made himself a pray, and therewithal that no man offered himself to rectify those abuses, than Gods own arm did save it, and his righteousness itself did sustain it. Isay. 63, 1.3 4 5 And when as the day of vengeance against the Edomites came into the heart of the Lord, and the day of his redeemed was come, than he trod the wine press alone, his own arm helped him, and his wrath itself sustained him. And when as Isay said, Isay. 26.1. Salvation shall God set up for walls and bulwarks: his meaning was to signify that God's protection and defence should be sufficient for us: Psal. 3.6, 3. whereupon it is that David in this present Psalm will not be afraid of ten thousand of the people, that should beset him round about, because God is his buckler and the lifter up of his head. And as it is testified in the 23. Psalm, Psal. 23 4.1. though he should walk through the valley of the shadow of death, yet would he fear no evil, because the Lord is his shepherd, whose rod and staff do comfort him. Also, by salomon's determination, Proverb. 18. ●0 the name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the righteous runneth unto it, and is exalted. Jerusalem (as it is in Zacharie) Zech. 2.4.5. may be inhabited without walls, if the Lord be unto her a wall of fire round about her, and the glory in the mids of her. And if the Lord be with Judah, in the siege against Jerusalem, then shall Jerusalem be a cup of poison to all the people round about, Zech. 12.2, 3. yea it shall be an heavy stone for all people. All that lift it up shallbe torn, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. And when as Saneherib invaded the land of Jury, with a most populous and puissant army to make an absolute conquest of it, the substance, 2 Chron, 32.7 8. of Hezekiah his military oration was this. Be strong and courageous: fear not, neither be afraid, for the king of Ashur, neither for all the multitude that is with him, for there be more with us, then is with him. With him is an arm of flesh (that is the power of man,) but with us is the Lord our God for to help us, & to fight our battles. Howbeit, though Salvation be of the Lord, yet the ordinary means of preservation appointed by God are not to be neglected: 2. Sam. 1.18. Wherefore David was no sooner entered into his kingdom, but he gave commandment that the children of Judah should be taught to shoot, lest they should have been overmatched by their enemies the Philistines in that art of warfare. 2. Sam. 15.31. And when Absalon rebelled against him, he did not only pray earnestly, that God would turn the Counsel of Ahitophel into foolishness: but also he sent his friend Hushai the Archite, into the army of Absalon, to be his discoverer from thence of all principal and dangerous plots & designs, vers, 34.35, 36.37. and that he might skilfully bring the Counsel of Ahitophel to nought, the which he deemed more perilous unto him then all Absaloms' forces. 2. king. 9.16 28 & 10.11.14 King Solomon also that he might not want the sinews of war, nor the ornaments of peace used traffic with his Navy, by the way of the red Sea, to fetch gold from Ophir in abundance, verse. 27. whereby he was enabled to give silver in jerusalem as stones. 1. king. 10.16 17 And his armoury glisteren with 200. targets, & 300. shields of beaten gold. Also he prepared 1400. Chariots. 12000. 1. king. 10.26. & 2 chron. 9.25 horsemen, and 40000. horses for service, which were bestowed in the Chariot cities, and with himself at Jerusalem. And I cannot but wonder at the exceeding great warlike preparation, 2. Chron. 17.13, to the end. which jehosaphat made against all dangers the 2. of the Chronicles and the 17. chapter. Such discovery of the Counsels and plots of foreign enemies, 2. king 6, 8. to the 14. as Elisha made by divine inspiration unto Jehoram, must now be supplied by intelligencers abroad. How could David have avoided the fury of Saul, if he had not received from Jonathan, and Michol, i Sam. 19.1, 2. & 20. information of his cruel purposes, and escaped by flight? And indeed this was the oversight of Gedalah the governor, and it cost him his life in the end, jer. 40 4.14 15, 16. & 41.12, for that he would not believe the report of Johanan who told him that Jshmael meant to murder him by the instigation of Baalis the king of the Ammonites. Let us enter into consideration how expedient it is & necessary to have, & to cherish in a kingdom and commonwealth not only valorous men, but also wise men, Just men, such as be fervent in prayer and intercession for the public good, & those that be forward to execute laws against malefactors. As for valorous men, how should the Jsraelites have been delivered out of the hands of the Midianites, had it not been for the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon? They had still lain under the yoke of Cushan Rishathaim, jud. 7, 20 King of Mesopotamia, unless Othniel had been raised up a saviour unto them▪ jud. 3.8.9. Ehud saved them out of the hands of the Moabites: vers. 15. And Shamgar and Samson from the Philistines: vers. 31. Barak likewise delivered them from jabin, jud. 14 & 15. &. 16 the King of Canaan: jud. cap. 4. and Jphtah from the Ammonites. And the Lord wrought a great Salvation for all Jsrael, jud. cap. 12. when David slew Goliath the Philistine. 1. Sam. 19.5. Concerning wise men, how necessary they be in every state, Solomon implieth when he saith in Ecclesiastes, I have seen this wisdom under the sun, Eccles. 9.13.14 15.16.18. and it is great unto me: A little City, and few men in it, and a great King came against it, and compassed it about, & builded forts against it: and there was found therein a poor and wise man, and he delivered the City by his wisdom. So was the City of Abel preserved from the rage of Joab by the wisdom of one woman, 2. Sam. 20.13. to the 23. who persuaded the Citizens to deliver the head of the rebellious traitor Sheba the son of Bichri. And touching Just men, I have learned of Eliphaz the Temanite in the book of Job, job 22.30. that the innocent shall deliver the Island, and it shall be preserved by the pureness of his hands: so that if but ten just men had been found in Sodom, Gen. 18.32. the City should have been spared for their sakes. Gen. 19, 22, 20 21. Neither would the Angel destroy Sodom till Lot was departed thence into a place of safety, the which at his request was kept from destruction: Act. 27.22.23. And in a most stormy tempest upon the midland sea, God gave unto Paul the lives of all that sailed with him. When King Joash said with tears in his eyes to Elisha lying upon his death bed, 2 King. 13.14. O my Father, my father, the Chariot of Israel, & the horsemen of the same, he signified that the Kingdom had been more prospered by his prayers, then by force of arms. And God in his just wrath had utterly consumed the Israelites in the case of the golden Calf, Psal. 106.23. had not Moses his chosen stood in the breach before him, to turn away his anger. Num. 16.41. to the end. And they had at another time altogether perished for murmuring upon the execution of rebellious Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, and not Aaron made an atonement for them. Miserable then and wretched was the state of the jews, jer. 7.16. when as Jeremy was commanded not to pray for them: and when as God himself protested, that though Moses and Samuel stood before him, Ier, 15: 1. yet his affection could not be toward that people. And as for round executing of justice upon offenders, Eccles. 8.11. the great necessity thereof appeareth hereby, because it is directly gathered out of the words of the Preacher, that the only delay of justice is the animating of transgressors. Wherefore King David made a solemn promise that he would betimes destroy all the wicked of the Land, Psal. ●01. 8. that he might cut of all the workers of iniquity, from the city of the lord. And for the same reason saith Solomon in the Canticles: Take us the Foxes, the little Foxes, which destroy the vines. Cant. 2.15. Which course if we had taken many years ago with the jesuits, secular Priests, and other seminary men, we had not been so pestered with them, and endangered by them, as now we are, and of late have been. Deut. 13.11. & 17.13. Wherefore it is high time to put hand to this work, that all Jsrael may hear & fear & do no more presumptuously. Thus than it is evident that there is great use and need of the ordinary means of preservation, the want whereof maketh a very woeful estate. As when the Lord of hosts meant in the time of Isay to expose the jews to all inconveniences, both oppressions and miseries at home, and also invasions abroad, than he threatened, that he would take from Jerusalem, Isay. 3.1.2.3. & from Judah the stay & the strength, even all the stay of bread & all the stay of water, the strong man, & the man of war, the judge & the Prophet, the prudent, & the aged, the captain of fifty, and the honourable, and the Counsellor, and the cunning artificer, and thy eloquent man. Now that Salvation is of the Lord we have had good experience of late by the rare manner of the discovering of that damnable and devilish devise which should have been acted, upon the fift of November last. For the same God which inspired Elisha that he could tell the King of Jsrael, 2. King. 6.12 even the very words which the king of Aram spoke in his privy chamber: And who in the days of Amos, Amos. 3.7. would do nothing, but he revealed his secrets unto his servants the Prophets: And who appearing to Joseph in a dream said. Math. 2.13. Arise and take the babe and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be there till I bring thee word, for Herode will seek the babe to destroy him. Ps. 91.3.5.6. And who promiseth in the 91. Psalm to deliver the faithful, not only from the noisome pestilence, but also from the snare of the hunter, not only from the arrow that flieth by day, but also from the terror of the night, not only from the plague that destroyeth at noontide, but also from the pestilence that walketh in the darkness: even he the same God, put into the head of our gracious Sovereign, to make an uncouth and strange construction of an unsubscribed letter, but yet such an one as whereby both he and his, and all we were wondrously delivered from the greatest danger that ever would have befallen us. And that it may otherwise also appear that this our Salvation was of the Lord, consider with what intent the letter aforesaid was written, namely to save one friend from perishing among us, but this resolution being still holden that we should have received the terrible intended blow. Howbeit, Almighty God, who by his infinite power and wisdom bringeth light out of darkness, and life out of death: Isay. 45.1. and who made Cyprus his anointed holding and guiding his right hand to subdue nations for the delivery of his people out of the captivity of Babylon, whereas Cyrus at the first meant nothing less, but only thought there by to satisfy his own ambition, vain glory, avarice, and cruelty: and who also turned the treachery of judas to the Salvation of mankind: Math. 26. even he the same God of his unspeakable goodness made use of this undated letter intended for the good of one man only, to the preservation of us all both Prince and people. Moreover the greatness of our deliverance may appear by this, that the conspiracy went forward, and our danger continued without perfit discovery, till within few hours of the appointed time wherein the cruel massacre should have been put in execution. So Pharaoh brought the Jsraelites into such straits, Exo. 14.21, 22. he being with his army behind them, that if the Sea, which was before them, had not given present way unto them, they had been all put to the sword, man, woman, and child. Likewise Hezekiah was so distressed by saneherib's army that he confessed it to be a day of tribulation, Isay. 37.3. rebuke and blasphemy: for the children were come to the birth, & there was no strength to bring forth. In so much as Hezekia and his people must needs have been destroyed unless the Lord had suddenly put an hook in saneherib's nostrils and a bridle in his lips, verse. 29.36. and had caused his Angel to slay fourscore and five thousand of the enemy's army in the space of one night. Psa 11.6.3. When David made this moan in the 116. Psalm, that the snares of death compared him, and the griefs of the grave caught hold on him his meaning was to signify in what great danger he had been in the wilderness of Maon, when Saul and his army compassed him and his followers round about to take them, so that they could not possibly have escaped the edge of the sword, 1. Sam. 23 26.27. if there had not come by God's providence an unlooked for messenger to Saul in post, saying, Hast thee and come, for the Philistines have invaded the land. Undoubtedly Jehoshua was brought near to the point of his utter undoing seeing it is said of him: Zech. 3.2. Psa. 68.20. Is not this a firebrand taken out of the fire? Thus our God to whom belongeth the issues of death hath infinite means to deliver his in the greatest and most extreme dangers, that we may know that Salvation belongeth unto the Lord. Again that this our late preservation may be acknowledged to have come of the Lord only, call to mind what our doings and deserts were at that time & before: surely I fear greatly, lest if the Lord had visited us, Zeph. 1.12. as in the day of Zephaniah he searched Jerusalem with lights, he should have found many frozen in their dregs, that is, by their prosperity hardened in their wickedness, and saying in their hearts the Lord will neither do good not evil. He should (I fear) have found many drawing iniquity with the cords of vanity, and sin as it were with cartropes: putting far away the evil day, Isay. 5.18. approaching to the seat of iniquity. Wherefore in this respect we may say with the Prophet Jeremy, Amos 6.3. Lam 3.22. It is the lords mercies that we were not consumed, because his compassions fail not. And all this Salvation came unto us from the Lord for the Gospel's sake which we profess, lest our enemies by their good success in this attempt, should have taken occasion to have blasphemed the name of God, saying where is now the God of the Protestants? But indeed one motive of the conspirators to increase their hope of good success in this wicked enterprise, was this conceit, that they supposed that God had given us over for our sins, as may appear by those words of the undated letter formerly named, God & man have concurred to punish the wickedness of this time. This self same opinion encouraged David's adversaries in this present Psalm, Psal. 3 2. as is collected by the words of the second verse, Many say to my soul, there is no help for him in God. And likewise, in the 71. Psalm, David's enemies spoke of him, and they that laid wait for his soul, took their Counsel together, saying, God hath forsaken him, pursue & take him, for there is none to deliver him. This also was the cunning and machiavellian trick of Saneherib, which he practised to terrify Hezekiah with all, when he said: Am I now come up without the lord to this land to destroy it? The Lord said unto me, Isay 36.10. go up against this land & destroy it. Thus the late complotters pretended the name of GOD to deceive withal, as though God had ordained them to be the rod of his wrath in punishing of us, and that the staff in their hand had been his indignation against us. Isay. 10.5. But let them answer this question of Esdras. Are the deeds of Babylon, better than they of Zion? 2. Esdras 3.31. We deserved destruction I confess, but not by the hands of them whose life is no better, & whose religion is far worse than ours. I may say of Rome, now as Jsai sometime spoke of jerusalem. How is the faithful City become an Harlot? Isay. 1.21.22. thy silver is become dross, thy wine is mixed with water. God had not sold us into their hands, 1. King. 21.25. because they had sold themselves to work wickedness in the sight of the Lord as did Ahab. Psa. 73.1. And seeing that their purpose was defeated by divine providence, and we were delivered from the snare which they privily laid for us, therefore we may say and sing, yet God is good unto Jsrael, even to the pure in heart. Verily if we had been altogether destitute of Good men as they falsely imagined, we had assuredly perished with firework from below, as Sodom for want of ten just men in it was destroyed with a rain of brimstone from above. But yet some Lot (praised be God) remaineth in the City among us to keep us from burning, yet some Paul saileth in the ship with us to keep us from drowning, Gen. 19.14. verse. 22. Act 27.24.25. Psal. 106.23. yet some Moses is found standing in the breach to turn away God's wrath from us. And there is yet some Aaron left to make an atonement for us. Yet, I say, some noah's, Num. 16.46. to the 51. Ezech. 14.14.16.20. & Ier 15.1. or Jobs, or samuel's, or daniel's have their being amongst us, whose prayers are effectual for themselves and us likewise. And so we find salvation from the Lord. Good Lord what lenity went before on the behalf of the King's Majesty and the state, and what cruelty was like to have ensued on the parts of the conspirators? Hereby we see by experience the truth of that which we read in the Prophet isaiah: Isay. 26 10. let mercy be showed to the wicked yet he will not learn righteousness, in the land of uprightness will he do wickedly, and will not behold the Majesty of the Lord. Though David played with his hand upon the harp before Saul to mitigate the rage of the evil spirit that was upon him, 1. Sam. 19.9.10 yet Saul intended to smite David to the wall with the spear which he held in his hand. 1. Sam. 24.4 to the 9 & 26.7.8.9.20. Yea though David spared the life of Saul, when he had him twice in his hands to stab him, or to dispose of him at his pleasure, yet for all that Saul continually pursued him, as one would seek a flea or hunt a partridge in the mountains. Thus the traitors would have recompensed the King's lenity with extreme cruelty; for if they had prospered in their most mischievous intendment, they meant to have killed the dam with the young: They purposed to meet us as a bear rob of her whelps: Deut. 22.6. Prou. 17.12. Hab. 1.8. we should have found & felt them more fierce than the wolves in the evening. As they of Damascus threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of iron: and as they of Tyrus shut the whole captivity in Edom: Amos 2.3.9.11.13. and as Edom pursued his brother with the sword, casting of all pity, and his anger spoiled him evermore, and his wrath watched him alway: and as the children of Ammon ripped up the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their own border: even so for all the world would these tygerlike men have dealt with us. Adonibezek cut of the thumbs of the hands and feet of his captives, and made them to gather bread under his table: jud. 1.7. yet, he suffered them to live. And Naash the Ammonite would make no covenant with them of Jabesh Gilead, 1. Sam. 11.2. except he might thrust out their right eyes, and so bring that shame upon Jsrael: yet was he content that they should enjoy their lives. But if these blood-thirsty men, (some whereof are already cut of by justice not having lived out half their days) had come to the full period of their hearts desire, should have been heard sounding in our ears but kill and slay. Proverb. 12.10. Thus even the minds of the wicked are cruel; but still Salvation is of the Lord. These underminers of the state said happily of us one to another, let us break their bonds and take their cords from us: Psal. 2.3. but he that dwelleth in the heaven did laugh: the Lord had them in derision. They said perhaps among themselves by imitation of the 83. Psalm. Come let us cut them of from being a Nation, and let the name of the Caluinists be no more in remembrance. Let us take their habitations for our possession: Psa. 83 4 12.13, 16: 18. But our God hath made them like unto a wheel, and as the stubble before the wind, he hath filled their faces with shame, that they may know, that he which is called Jehovah is alone, even the most high over all the earth. They resemble Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, which said in the pride and presumption of their heart. The bricks are fallen but we will build it with hewn stones, Isay 9.9.10.11.12, the wild fig trees are cut down, but we will change them into Cedars: nevertheless, the Lord will raise up the adversaries of Rezin against him, and join his enemies together: Aram before, and the Philistines behind, and they shall devour Jsrael with open mouth. They had no doubt as high and proud a conceit as possessed Benhadad, when he said, the gods do so to me, and more also, 1 King 20.10 11. if the dust of Samaria be enough for all the people that follow me for every man an handful, but let not him that girdeth his harness boast himself, as he that putteth it of. For SALVATION belongeth unto the Lord. Now then for somuch as no man doubteth, and every man confesseth, that our late deliverance out of exceeding great danger proceeded from the Lord, let us first of all be admonished to be thankful unto Almighty God, by the example of David, who after that he had escaped the peril of the Court of Achish, solemnly promised in the 34. Psalm, that he would always give thanks unto the Lord, Psa. 34 1. and that the praise of God should be continually in his mouth. And likewise by the example of Jehosaphat, 2. Chron. 20.26 who after that famous victory against the united forces of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, assembled his soldiers, and other his subjects to bless the lord in that place, which was afterward by that occasion called the valley of blessing. Secondly, let us receive admonition to be constant in the profession of the Gospel, notwithstanding all threats, calumniations, and dangers intended by the fraud or force of any enemies whatsoever, Psal. 119.23.51.69 85.61.25.28.83.109 entire. by the example of the Psalmist in the 119. Psalm, who, though Princes did sit and speak against him, and the proud had him exceedingly in derision, imagining a lie against him, and digging pits for him: yea though the bands of the wicked rob him, and laid snares for him, and waited to destroy him: so that his soul cleaved to the dust, and melted for heaviness, and he was like a bottle in the smoke, and his soul was continually in his hand: yet he declined not from the law of God, nor forgot his precepts, nor swerved from his testimonies and statutes. Thirdly, let us be encouraged to hope for such help and secure in time of need hereafter, Heb. 13.8. for that jesus Christ yesterday, and to day, the same also is for ever, not only the founder but also the preserver of the Church. He was our arm in the morning when the Gospel began to be restored in these parts, and he will no doubt be our strength in the evening thereof upon earth. he will perform his work toward us, Psa. 138.7, 8. and not forsake the work of his hands. But this hope must be grounded upon a proviso that we practise in life as we profess in word. And therefore I say to all that be here present as Azariah the son of Obed said to King Asa and all Juda and Benjamin: Hear ye me, the Lord is with you, while you be with him: 2 Chron. 15.1. and if ye seek him, he will be found of you, but if ye forsake him, he will forsake you. Be it far from us to run the race of disobedience and obstinacy, till our wickedness be full as the Amorites was, Gen. 15.16. when the Israelites came to invade them. Be it far from us, who have lately received so great a Salvation from the Lord, 2 Chron. 36.16 to mock the messengers of God, and despise his words and misuse his Prophets, until the wrath of the Lord should arise against us, and till there were no remedy but that GOD must needs punish our sins in his just and heavy judgement. Fourthly, let us be exhorted to future vigilancy against the privy practices of the Romish faction at home and abroad. Remember that when Ahab had overthrown Ben-hadad in one set battle, he was advertised by a Prophet to be of good courage, 1. Kings. 20.22 but yet to take heed what he did, because the King of Aram when the year was gone about would come up against him the second time. But surely the jesuits and their consorts will not give us so long a breathing time. For they are like the raging Sea, Isay. 57.20.21. that cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. It would seem that they are imitators of those evil and cruel men mentioned in the three Psalm, Psa. 111.22. which imagine evil things in their heart, and make war continually. To us they are strangers from the womb. Can the black Moor change his skin, Psa. 58.3. jer. ●3. 23. or the Leopard his spots? Then may these men also do good which are accustomed to do evil. Hear I cannot omit the sentence in the 76. Psalm, where is set foorth the power of God, and care for the defence of his people of Jeruslem, in the destruction of the Army of Sancherib: The words, being directed to Almighty God, stand thus in the text: Psa. 76.10. Surely the rage of man shall turn to thy praise: the remnant of the rage shalt thou restrain. Even so in this late conspiracy such hath been the event that the rage of the conspirators hath turned to the praise of God, who in his just judgement hath caused them to fall into the pit which they made and digged themselves: Psal. 7.15.16. procuring their mischief to return upon their own head, and their cruelty to fall upon their own pate. Exod, 9. i6. GOD showed his power in Pharaoh, and declared his name throughout all the world by his overthrow. Hab. 2.14. Likewise in the destruction the of the Babylonians, the earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the Sea. Isay. 26.9. And seeing that such judgements of God are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learn righteousness. Thus by this late discovery God is magnified, and the eyes of many, (I trust) are opened to see, that the Jesuits and the rest of the Romish brood are more dangerous guests to the state, then formerly they had believed. But yet the remnant of their rage must be restrained, under God's providence, by circumspection & foresight of the Church and commonwealth watchmen, by diligent and trusty inquisition, and by unpartial & undelayed execution of laws, which is the very life of the laws. And if all the premises be observed, than they that labour to bring in and erect popery, shall be found the builders of Babel to their own confusion: Gen. 11. And they shall be subject to the curse which fell on Hiel the Bethelite about the re-edifying of Jericho, who laid the foundation thereof in Abiram, 1. King. 16.34. his eldest son, and set up the gates thereof in his youngest son Segub. Then I say, shall their case nothing differ from that of the offspring of Esau, of whom God speaketh thus in Malachy. Though Edom say we are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places, yet saith the Lord of Hosts, they shall build but I will destroy it, Malach. 1.4. and they shall call them the border of wickedness and the people with whom the Lord is angry for ever. And it shall be said of them, and their works, as Habacuk speaketh: Behold, is it not of the Lord of Hosts, that the people shall labour in the very fire? Hab. 2.13. the people shall even weary themselves with very vanity. They and their devices shall consume like a snail that melteth, and like the untimely fruit of a woman that hath not seen the sun. Psa. 58.8.9. As raw flesh is taken out of the pot, before the water feel the fire of thorns, so shall God destroy their enterprises before they can be effected: yea they shall be as the grass on the house tops, Ps. 129.6.7. which withereth afore it cometh forth: whereof the mower filleth not his hand, neither the gleaner his lap. Psa. 7.14. Then they may indeed travail with wickedness having conceived mischief, but they shall bring forth a lie; they may purpose to hatch the cockatrice eggs, but they shall only weave the Spider's web. And hereof we have a strong and steadfast hope, Isay. 59.5. because that as well the destruction of the wicked, as the Salvation of the Godly proceedeth from the Lord, whose blessing is upon his people, according to the latter part of this text. And thy blessing is upon thy people. Behold, and consider the humility, modesty, and sincerity of David: For if danger be imminent to the state, than he casteth all the imputation thereof upon himself saying, 2. Sam. 24.17. I have sinned, yea I have done wickedly: but these sheep what have they done? let thine hand I pray thee, be against me and against my father's house. But on the other side when as he is here delivered from extreme danger, behold he ascribeth his deliverance to God's favour toward his people, saying to Almighty God, with eyes and heart lifted up to heaven, And thy blessing is upon thy people. Also when David was falsely accused by Chush, Psal. 7.6.7. one of saul's kinsmen, he called unto God for help, framing his prayer in this wise. Arise O Lord in thy wrath, and lift up thy against the rage of mine enemies, and awake for me according to the judgement that thou hast appointed So shall the congregation compass thee about: for their sakes return on high (that is, declare thy power for thy Church's sake.) Upon whom falleth God's blessing? verily upon God's people. Therefore we must first show ourselves to be God's people, & then we may expect the increase and continuance of God's blessing. For the accomplishing whereof, Matth. 3.16. let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works, 1. Pet. 2.9. Tit. 2.14. and glorify our father which is in heaven, acknowledging us to be a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy Nation, a peculiar people, zealous of good works, showing forth the virtues of him, that hath called us out of darkness into his marvelous light. Psa. 21, 3.6. And then we may have an assured hope, that God will prevent our King with liberal blessings, & set him as blessings for ever, making him a perpetual example of his favour to this presentage, & to all posterity. Then I say, we may conceive good hope, that God will endue all of us with convenient blessings both spiritual and temporal, so that we may live in the fear of GOD, and die in his favour, to be partakers of the joys of Heaven prepared for us, by the mediation of our Saviour jesus Christ, to whom with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glory, both now and for evermore. Amen. FINIS.