A SERMON Preached by Master Michael Bruice, IN THE Tolbooth of EDINBURGH, The immediate Sabbath after he received the Sentence of Exile for Virginia.  Text, PSALM 140. v. 12, 13. 
12. I know that the Lord will maintain the Cause of the afflicted, and the Right of the poor.  
13. Surely the Righteous shall give thanks unto thy name, the upright shall dwell in thy presence.  
THere are three things of excellent worth to be known at such a time as this, and I think ye should be labouring to know the worth of all these three things in this your day. The first thing that is of excellent worth to be known, is this, To know that though we do not maintain the Cause, yet, go the World as it will, God will maintain it, says the Psalmist here, Though we be an afflicted people that is during the Cause, and do not maintain it, yet it shall be maintained; I know God shall maintain it, and I will never quit the knowledge of that. The second thing here that is of excellent worth to be known, is, Although we should be weeping all our days, under the sense of many Losses, yet we shall win home over to God, and dwell at last in his presence; Therefore if all things were well considered, the poor traitor Bodies that sells God for a tippence, and their Consciences for a Livelihood, and their Souls for Goods and Gear, are the most miserable Bodies in the World, for they shall never dwell in his presence, but they shall geet their Letters of Exclusion, Depart from me, under the Great Seal of Heaven, never to be ranversed again. There is a third thing of excellent worth no be well read by you, in such a day as this, and that is in the slippery sitting of the wickeds Case, though they flourish as a Green Bay-Tree, yet they shall soon be cut down. He hath prepared Hunters to hunt them to Death, will he not gar the people of God hunt them to death? No, no, oft times he'll not let the people of God fill their Fingers on them. But there are three Hunters that oft times he sends to them wicked men to be their Death. First, he sends their own wiekedness to them, and that is also black a Hunter as ever hunted wicked men, he makes their own iniquity to hunt them till they be ruined; he makes wickedness slay them, and their own iniquity to be their death; Mischief shall hunt the violent man till he be ruined. Secondly, he makes the Creatures hund them to death, that was ane unk● Hunter, that poor Pharaoh met with; he made the Red-sea hunt him till he was ruined. Thirdly, he'll have their own will to hunt them to death, he'll have that which they lay as a Snare before the people of God, to hunt them to death; that which wicked mendelights most in, and gloties most in, will be their Hunter or all be done. I wots well they are great Fools then, to glory in that which will hunt them from hole to hole, and from this Land to that Land, and never leave them till it raive the throat out of them; What will be thought of those poor Bodies that will be hunted to death with that they delighted most in? Now the Words that we have read are the use that the Psalmist makes of all that he hath been saying through the Psalm, or rather ye may take it in the time of his toss, his casting of his Anchor on a sure Foundation, and there fixing, and on this he composes his Spirit. Now would ye know the Anchorage of every true Christian? Then come to the words that I have read, and ye will find three pieces of Anchorages for a Christian to fix on. The first piece of Anchorage is this, The Cause of the afflicted and the Right of the poor God will maintain; Anchor on it sure, for it is sure enough, ey ye may anchor there, and bide all the Storm over; The Cause of the afflicted, and the Right of the poor God will maintain; that is a brave Anchorage, and in it we have three things considerable. First, the designation of the persons that God will own in their biding by the Cause, and that is the afflicted and the poor; well is our day for that, though we cannot get ourselves in owning with the rich, and great Folk, yet I wots well we may get our names slipped in among the afflicted and poor, and it these that lie nearest God's help, it is these that he'll own, well is our day for that; Hes he not a bonny pack of us think ye? Sirs it matters not, he'll take our Cause be the end feckless as we are. A second thing in this is the party that will own us, and that is God himself, he'll be our Advocate, he'll be our Agent, he'll be our Maintainer, very good then, he'll maintain the Cause: For my part I never desire a better maintainer of a Covenant nor God himself, and I never desire a better maintainer of the Cause and Work of Reformation nor the Lord himself; though we were dead and rotten, such a Maintainer will gar the Cause and Covenant speak for itself in Britain and Ireland. It's a strange thing Sirs, I'll warrant you the Philistines thought themselves brave Folk, when they had gotten the Ark of God among them, but ere all was done they thought themselves also unhappy in having of it, as ever they thought themselves happy; for God gart it speak with meekle black Vengeance towards them, and all that they could do could not answer the Arks Arguments, it spoke with such Judgement and Plagues as ever ye heard tell of, as ye may read in the 1 of Sam. 5. chap. And I doubt not but these poor Bodies that hes overthrown our Covenant and Work of Reformation, shall wish as much that they had none overthrown them, as ever they were bly that their overthrow, stay till God gar a work of Reformation plead for itself with Vengeance, and stay till God gar Vengeance speak for a broken Covenant, and then all the Prelates and all the Lords in Scotland will not answer these arguments, let them try their parts against the Covenant as they please; but all the Prelates in Scotland shall not be able to answer the arguments of a broken Covenant, when it pleads with vengeance.  
A second thing of this Anchorage is, the way how he brings it in; I know (says he) God will maintain the cause of the afflicted: And it is not an Outward and External, or bare Speculative knowledge, but a knowledge with a persuasion, founded on an Infallible ground, and a piece of Anchorage for a Christian to fix on, is this, Surely the Righteous shall give thanks to God: A man cannot express his persuasion of a thing better, nor by this; Surely the Righteous shall give thanks unto thy Name: It shall not be a thing only in the Heart and Thought to do, but it shall be a done Turn, they shall think no shame to praise their Master for what they have the receipt of. A third piece of Anchorage for a Christian to fix on; is this, The Righteous shall dwell in thy presence; I will not say but ye may have hard Battering if ye be Upright, but in God's presence shall be Lodging: The men of the World says they'll gar us take up our Lodging in Virginia to learn us to be more Loyal: They may do so, but they'll get no thanks for their pains: But I'll tell you News, if we be Upright, the presence of God shall be our Lodging, Lodge where we will; and think ye not but I may Lodge there, and have a Brave Life of it where I Quarter, and get my Boarding Born me, and where I'll Quarter and pay no House Male; where I'll Quarter in good Company: O then Sweet and Heartsome will my House Quarters be: But I may not stand on preferring, really all these words drops sweetness, as the Honey and the Honey Comb; if I had the Faith of these three on my Spirit, I would go though all the world comforted. First, The Faith of this, that the Cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor, God will maintain. Secondly, The Faith of this, that I and others should have ground and reason to thank him yet for that's comed and gone. Thirdly, That I and these others should be Upright, and so should dwell in his presence; if I had these three Purse-pennies, I would think nothing to go through all the world with them: I shall now give you one Lesson from the Connection, and then come to the words more particularly: O! but you may see David here is much busied in this Psalm about his enemies that lays Grins and Snares for him; therefore he's in great hazard to be taken with some of these, and yet ye see how he comes and settles himself in the midst of all these waters and waves: Now the Observation is this, that many times the people of God may be haden in hot water with enemies, and meet with much to sling from them, and yet may win to Anchor, and stay in the midst of them: Here are four things in Persecutors that troubles the people of God very much. First, The persons of the Persecutors that some times have been supposed to have been Friends and no Enemies, and to them to be Persecuted by supposed Friends, there is a great business: If it had been an enemy (says David in the 95 Psalms) that had done this, I would have known what to have done, but it is a Brother that hath done it; what shall be said of that? If it had been Heathens or Pagons, or precised Papists that had so Persecuted us, we would have known what to have done better; but is our Brethren, Bastards as they are, not Strangers and Foreigners, that so guides us, but our own Rulers that should have been our Nursing Fathers, Cruel and Unhumain as they are; and it is those whose words are as Butter, many that put the people of God to an Nonplus well: Then since it is so, that they have a Sword in their heart, but speaks as their mouth were full of Butter; David says the stress of this over upon God, that he would keep him from them. A second thing in Persecutors that is very tossing to the people of God, and holds them oft times in hot water, is the Grins and Snares that they lay for them, and poor bodies can never tell where the lie, and if we look not well about us, our Feet will be in some Cord or Grin or ever we wots of ourselves. A third thing in Persecutors that troubles the people of God very much, is the Language of Persecutors; it's as a Sword in their Bowels while the enemies say continually where is their God: I rather bid Execution or Martyrdom, says the poor man, or I bid their Language; it's a Sword always in my Bones, while they say continually where is there God? A fourth thing in Enemies that tosses and troubles the people of God very much; is their Cruelty, they'll never neither let them get Night's rest nor Days rest, while they apprehend them; and till they deal Inhumainly with them, in Executing them, and dealing worse than Heathens or Pagons would deal with them: Now notwithstanding of all this tossing of David with Enemies, yet he comes to an Anchorage, and there he fixes; he comes to a point, and there he fixes. Now there are six points that a Christian may win to in the midst of all his toss with enemies: Have any of you win to all these six points ye Prisoners? Fix yourselves Sirs, for the Lord knows what battering we may meet with or all the business end. The first point that a Christian may win to in the midst of all his toss, ye may take it out of the 6 v. of this Psalm, I said unto the Lord, thou art my God; Go the world as it will, I have a standing Interest in God, and I'll fix there and bid there; for they call this the main Chance, therefore fix there, for it's the main business, and sicker what ye will, if the main Chance be not sickered, I'll not give a Grey Groat for you and your Religion both; if ye be not well Anchored here, it matters not what ye be Anchored on. The second point that a Christian may win to in the midst of all his toss, and that is in the 27 Psalm. at the 4 v. One thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life; and go where I will poor ordinance shall ay be best to me, I shall never cast out with them, be in what Country I will, go to what Country I will, poor and pure ordinance shall be my pursuit, go where I will, I'll never desire to live without poor Ordinances; there I fix, and go where I will the Ordinances of God, of thee O Scotland shall never go out of my mind; O broken down well of the Daughter of Zion in thee O Scotland! for thee shall mine eyes trinkle down, if I forget thee O Jerusalem, then let my Tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth. The third point that poor men may win to when they are sore tossed with enemies, and ye may take it out of the 4 of the Acts 27 and 28 v. There says the Apostle, Herod and Pontius Pilate, and the Jews are gathered together against thy holy child Jesus; I wots well then that will be a black Council, than I wots well they will exceed bounds when all the enemies are together, no they'll do but to the holy Child Jesus what ever thy hand and counsel hath foreordained to be done; here they stand poor folk, they can win no farther nor thy allowance: We are ay flitting and flowing in our Thoughts about what enemies will do, but let their intentions to do be never so strong, they can neither add nor pair, but what his counsel and hand hath decreed; and since there is a hand and a counsel of God about all that concerneth me, what needs I be feared though enemies should hunt me as a Partridge in the wilderness. The fourth point that poor men may win to when they are tossed, and that is in 76 Psal. 10 v. Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: There comes the poor man and he flings down his Anchor, the men of the world thinks that they'll get much done by their Wrath and Malice, and so all the Skaith must come to themselves, for we and our Master shall have the winning of it. There is a fifth point that we may come to in the midst of our toss, and that is in the 31 Jerem. 35 v. Thus saith the Lord, who giveth the Sun for a light by day, and the Ordinances of the Moon and of the Stars for a light by night, who divideth the Sea when the waves thereof roar, the Lord of hosts is his Name: If these ordinances depart from before me, saith the Lord, than the seed of Israel shall cease from being a Nation before me for ever. There is an Alteration to be upon the good will of the Lord toward his people and Church in keeping a Table for his Bairns, and in making a Lamp always to burn before his Anointed as long as the Ordinances of Sun and Moon and Stars do not fail, as long as there is no alteration, there it's a sign and token of his unchangeable respect to his Church and people; there we fix. There is a sixth point that we come to in the midh of our toss, and that is the 3 of Isaiah 10 v. Say to the righteous is shall be well with them, for they shall eat fruit of their do: There is a point we fix on go the world as it will; I will not say but we may meet with sad troubles for righteousness sake but (well well shall call) up the Rear of it Now Sirs, will ye tell me, have he win to all these 6 points? Yet now for Use, I think there are three complaints that our Master hath of us all. The first is that which ye may read in the 1 Kings at the 21 v. How long halt ye betwixt two opinions? If the Lord be God follow him, but if Baal, then follow him: Our Master is saying, to Prisoners, to to Ministers and Professors, How long will ye halt betwixt two opinions? Will ye once be determined in the matters of your Faith in this reeling and flowing time?  
The second complaint that our Master hath of the most part of the Professors in Scotland, and that is, Every new trouble puts them to be seeking their ground again, after they seemed to have taken it up; Is not this very sad that every new trouble puts us to seek a stance again, though we seemed to be footing a stand before. There is a third complaint he hath of us all, and that is our hearts are not right with him, neither are we steadfast in his Covenant, and the most part of us travels betwixt these two, even for getting of his counsel, and inconstancy with him in his Covenant: But we come now more particularly to the Words; I know that the Cause of the afflicted and the Right of the poor God will maintain: And the Observation is this, That as the people of God have need of knowledge in a day of troubble, so it is very commendable among them to be making use of their knowledge for settling and fixing the heart in a day of the Cross; O but ignorance doth folk much ill in a day of trouble; there is many folk hath knowledge, and they make not the right use of its and there are many hath knowledge, and yet they get not the right use of it; but that is an ill use that a man gets of his knowledge when he makes use of it for the stumbling of those that are about him, that are not so knowing; but ye see how the man has knoweldge, and he makes use of it for settling of himself upon God. There is two things in this Observation. First, it's a brave thing for a Christian to have much Light. Secondly, it's a brave thing for a Christian to be making use of that Light for fixing of himself in a day of trouble. That I may speak a little to the Observation, I'll speak a Word to these three or four things. First, what are these things that a Christian is to know in order to its fixedness in a day of the Cross. Secondly, what the knowledge is that fixes us on the nobleness of that knowledge. We shall speak of these pieces of knowledge, and then a word of use. The first thing then to be spoken to is, There are these things that we shall know; and there are 9 things the knowledge of which should never be off our hearts. The first is in the 9 of Jer. 24 ver. But let him that glorieth glory in this. That he understandeth and knoweth me, that I am the Lord which exerciseth Judgement, Righteousness and Lovingkindness in the Earth; for in these things I delight, saith the Lord. That is one thing that I am to know, and let the Impression of it never wear off my Soul; What ever toss his people come to upon the Earth, that God exerciseth Lovingkindness towards them. A second thing that I know, and that is in the 33 Psalms, at the 10 and 11. v. The Lord bringeth the Counsel of the Heathen to nought, he maketh the Devices of the people of none effect; The Counsel of the Lord standeth for ever, the thoughts of his heart to all Generations. There is another thing, I know the men of the World says the Acts of their Council shall stand against us sentenced for Rebels, but that is not the Counsel of God when all is done, therefore he will bring it to nought, and make it of none effect, Therefore when we have gotten our Sentence from the World, and from the Counsel we will appeal to another Judicature that is above them, well's us, for we have one above us, that will see us righted in our Sentence; it is he whose Counsel endureth for ever, and the thoughts of his heart to all Generations. There is a third thing I am to know, and that is in the 2 Tim. 1.12. I know in whom I have believed, and the good thing I have committed unto him he will keep till that day, I know I have committed my Soul to him, and I know I have committed Wife and Bairns, Goods and Geir to him, and all now if ye take not the Bond. I can commit all to God, and he can give me a good accou●t of all in that day, O but that day will be a brave counting day betwixt Christ and his Followers: and if ye should spear what an a day will that be? It will be a brave counting day betwixt Christ and his Followers, it'l be a brave counting day betwixt Christ and his Father; Here am I, and the Children thou gave me, here am I, and my Bairns at my Back, there is never one of them lost, for all the scatter, and wander that was among them▪ they are all here; Now some were killed in the Fields, some were executed on Scaffolds, some by Murderers hagged down as they stood on the Cross-ways, some murdered in Houses, their Relations never heard tell of them, some lost in the Sea, some banished to the utmost Parts of the Earth, some part of them buried, and some part of them unburied; but here are they all now, and never one of them lost; they shall all Proclaim the high Praises of the Lord through Eternity. Sixthly, it'l be a counting Day betwixt Christ and his Followers. Here am I, with all that ye committed to me, your Souls with Increase; O such a gallant counting day as that will be. There is a fourth thing I know, and that is in the 4 Dan. 2 or 3▪ v. before the end. I know God ruleth in Heaven among the Children of men. I pray you who is Master Governor of the World? I wots well it's neither. Men nor Devils, than we would not have a Cock to crow day; I wots well says the Magistrates and Men of the World, there is▪ none ruleth above us, soft and fair, as noble Blaids has been taught by sad strokes and sore Skins; that the most high ruleth in Heaven among the Children of Men: Noble Nebuchadnizzar would not ken this, he was so great, till he made him to ken it by a sore skin, 4 Dan. 38 v. It may be it cost some of our great men a sore skin yet or they learn this Lesson; but learn it they shall; some of them might have known▪ this already, by what they were put to, but if they will not take up their Lesson by what they have met with, God shall gar them ken yet by a more God-like-stroke, that he ruleth in Heaven, and among the Children of Men. There is a fifth thing I am to carry the knowledge of alongs with me; and that is in the 5 Matth. 18 v. Heaven and Earth may pass away, but one jot or tittle of his Word shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled; Therefore what ever is commanded I know I must obey, and what ever threaten he has threatened upon enemies, I believe they will be accomplished, and whatever he has promised to his friends, I know it will be made out; This I know, and this I am to carry, the Faith of alongs with me through all my troubles. There is a sixth thing that I am to know, and that is in the 89th. Psalms, That whatever be the afflictions of the people of God, yet he will not take his Lovingkindness from them; And since I know that, what for should I be discouraged and cast down? The men of the World says what have we to look to now since we are suffering such hard things for our Covenant and Work of Reformation? Indeed and our▪ Master were taking his Lovingkindness from us, than we will brag the best of them all, say the contrary who will, and I say rejoice not over me, O mine Enemy, though I fall I shall rise again; they shall be upmost that bides by our Master, and they shall be undermost that opposes him; say the contrary who will. There is a seventh thing I am to know, and that is, Be his Dispensations never so sad, yet I know that which is in the 10th. v. of the 25 Psal. All his Paths are Mercy and Truth to them that keep his Testimonies; And if I could come to be a fearer of him, and a keeper of his Covenant, I would soon be at a point as to what men could do to me; The men of the World says they shall put this and that in our Cup, to gar us rue what we have done; but if I be a keeper of his Covenant, my Master will put in Mercy and Truth in all his Dispensations to me, and then that'l sweeten all. There is an eighth thing I know, and that is in the 75 v. of the 119 Psal. I know all thy Judgements are right, and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me, I know that there is also much faithfulness in every rod that is laid upon my Back, as was exercised upon me when I was dandled upon his Knees. There is a ninth thing I know, and that is, That the Lord is God, and not Man, the holy one of Israel in the midst of us; therefore we shall not die but live; He hath ordained us for Correction, but not for Destruction; he will debate with us, but it will be in measure. There is a tenth thing I am to know, and that is in the 3 of Malachy, 3 v. He shall sit as a Refiner and Purifier of Silver; I know this, that as long as we are in the Fire, he will sit at the Lip of it; I know he sits as a Refiner to drop in Bell-mettal as the Dross goes away: Bnd his end in all this is that we may offer unto him the Sacrifice of Righteousness; Now these are ten things that a Christian is to know and anchor upon in a day of trouble. The second thing to be spoken to is, What is that knowledge that a Christian hath, which is a knowledge in order to fixedness that a man must have, it is a knowledge with these four in the midst of it; I am distinct in what I know, the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor God will maintain: I know though I should be Banished to Virginia, and never see that Cause maintained, yet God will maintain it; I know that, and I am distinct in the knowledge of it. 2dly. This man he knows believingly, he knows him so, that he has a persuasion through Faith that will admit of no Controversies, it's not a knowledge by ratrym, it's not a knowledge by report and hear-say; but it is a knowledge that hath a divine Persuasion in the Bosom of it, flowing from a divine stamp of the finger of God upon the Spirit, cannot be taken off. Thirdly, not only doth he know distinctly and believingly, but he knows experimentally, and from what he hath found, he draws conclusions and persuasions. Fourthly, it's a knowledge with much operation in the Bosom of it, making him quick and nimble in the Practice of holiness in all the course of this Life. The third thing to be spoken to, is, Wherein lies the nobleness of this knowledge? The nobleness of attaining such knowledge lies in these three. First, The nobleness of it lies in this, it says thou hast been a good Scholar at the School of Christ; but I fear it may be said of the most part of us, we have been but Buboes all our time, and so will come of it. Secondly, The nobleness of it lies in this, that it is that which will help to fix you and keep you from being blown over in the day of Tempests and Storms, when other folk are made Ship-wreck. Thirdly, The nobleness of it lies in this, this is it that will help you to brag all your Enemies out of it, and it'l make you read your Fortune, and the Fortune of your Enemies; Though I fall I shall rise: Nor for use of this: Will ye tell me, Sirs, what knowledge have ye, and what use ye are getting of your knowledge? I trow it may be said of many of us that we have little knowledge, and that the knowledge we have, we get not the right use of it; What use make ye of your knowledge , Sirs, ye that has win to knowledge, for it's not for want of Light that the most part of you runs to the Devil, but ye run to the Devil now a days with a Candle in your hand; O but there is much thortering and murdering in Scotland, but thortering with Light shall be the warisomest sin that ever Scotland meddled with; for thereby many a poor body shall have a debate in their bosom, that they shall not soon win over, whether or no they have sinned the sin against the Holy Ghost; because they have gone over the belly of so much Light; I will not say much to it, but O but it is heartsome to win to these two, much Light, and the right use of that Light: O but here is noble News: the Cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor, God will maintain it; and it's upon this account, that when the Kirk and people of God cannot get righting from the Courts under the Sun, but is wronged by the Sentences of the Counsels of men. they take in their wronged Sentences before God: Therefore says David in the 17 Ps. 2 v. Let my Sentence come forth from thy presence, and let thine eyes behold these things that are equal; We have gotten our Sentence from men, now good Lord we must have our Sentence from thee, and thou must judge upon things that are equal, and see whether thy Sentence will not agree with theirs; the Cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor God will maintain: Now there is three things lying in the bosom of this.  
First, that the people of God hes a Cause in Scotland. although many of them hes little in their owning of it; there is a Cause own it as ye will; O woe to many a man because the people of God hes a Cause to own in Scotland, woe to many a man that we had a Cause, for they have lost their Soul, because they would not own it. Thirdly, though that Cause be good, yet the owners of it be a very afflicted people; yet a good Cause backed by an afflicted people shall have God to maintain it, therefore cast not out with the Cause, the owner of it be an afflicted people: That I may speak a little to this, I'll speak a word to these three or four. First, what is the reason of this that a good Cause may have none to own it but a poor and an afflicted people. Secondly, what way doth God maintain that Cause when there is none to own it but an affl cted people. Thirdly, what ground of encouragement is this to an afflicted people owning a good Cause that God will maintain it himself. Fourthly, a word of Caution, together with some uses and then go forward. Now for the first, how comes it that the Cause of the people God is good, and yet they are but an afflicted party in owning of it? It is upon three accounts that it is so: First, upon this account, that though they own their duty, yet they are not without sin and sinful faults, and therefore though he will honour them to own the cause, because they are his people, and give them a reward for the same, yet he'll not miss to take vengeance on their Inventions; and therefore though owning the Cause they are but an afflicted people. Secondly, he'll have us an afflicted people that own his good Cause, that he may train us up in the exercise of three three things. First, In the exercising of believing 3 Zephaniah 12. I will also leave in the midst of thee an afflicted and poor people, and they shall trust in the Name of the Lord: But I trow though we be an afflicted and poor people, yet we have done as little at the believing Trade, as if we had not been called to that exercise: Thirdly, he'll have us trained up in the exercising of waiting, but I trow in stead of waiting on, many of us comes to the far nook of our patience. Fourthly, he'll have us thereby trained up in self-denial on the one hand, and dependence upon God on the other hand, he'll have us dying of our own bottom by affliction, but O Sirs, but self love may go through many a Cross with a Christian, O but it may be long or a Christian win to that; not I but Christ in me. Fifthly, he'll have poor bodies trained up in this; to acknowledge God in all his ways. And Lastly, he'll have us an afflicted people, though we be owning his Cause for this reason, that he may put all and every one of us to subscrive this with our blood, as it were, That it is a bitter thing to departed from the living God, 2 Jerem. 19 And last of all, that he may make the afflicted people carry the afflicted and born down Cause over the belly of all the great and prosperous men in the world that opposes it: That he may make out the Scriptures to make the things that are not, to confound things that are; that so the work may be seen to be of God and not of man, for he'll not have arm revealed by the arm of flesh; therefore he'll have none to own his Cause but an afflicted and poor people. The next thing to be spoken to, is what way God doth maintain this Cause, when there is none to own it but an afflicted people: There is eight ways that God doth maintain the Cause when there is none to back it but an afflicted people. The first way that he maintains it is this; he gars the Cause speak and plead for itself, when all poor bodies are laid by, when there is none to plead for a Covenant, and Cause, and work of Reformation, he'll gar it plead with the arguments of vengeance, that all the Prelates in Scotland shall not be able to answer the arguments thereof; The Philistines when they got the Ark of God, I warrant they thought they had a prize, there was never one to appear to own them, For it well, says the Lord, the Ark shall plead for itself, and they shall be as blithe to quit it, as ever they were blithe to take it; as ye may see in the 2 Sam. 4 v. I will not say much Sirs, but I am sure the Kirk and Work of God will be troublesome on the Stomach of some of our Malignants in Scotland, it'l make unrest when they think it to be disjeasted; there is some sort of Meat, though folk would fain eat it, yet it will not disjeast on their Stomach, but it comes up and gars them wirry them, but shall not go down; for a broken Covenant will plead with such vengeance, that they shall not answer the arguments of it. There is a second way that he maintains the Cause when poor bodies is laid by, and that is by borrowing a yocking of some enemies Plough for ploughing a yocking in persecutors Land, to give the people of God breathing time and leisure to get their plough yocked, so God borrows a yocking of the Philistines plough to Till a Rigg in Saul's Lund when he was pursuing David, while David got his Plough yocked, there was nothing betwixt David and him, but he's e'en coming pursuing him down the one side of the Hill, and David is going up the other; well, the Lord sends one to Saul to cry to him, the Philistines is come in upon thy borders, and leaves off from pursuing David, and that was a yocking to Saul, while David was made ready for him; who wots but God may borrow a yocking of some enemies Plough to give Persecutors yet a yocking, while the people of God get their Cords fixed.  
A third way how he maintains the Cause sometimes, and that is, by making Religion take a grip of the hearts of some of the enemies that has been the Ringleaders of the Persecutors of the Kirk and People of God, and then there will be rest in the Church and People walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost, in that 9 Acts Saul a Persecutor and Ringleader of Persecution; Religion gripped him at the heart. And then. in the 31. There was rest throughout all the Church, walking in fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost: Is not that a brave way of maintaining of the Cause, that the persecuted Cause shall take some great men be the heart, and then there shall be rest in all the Churches, walking in the fear of the Lord, and in the comforts of the Holy Ghost. There is a fourth way that he maintains the Cause, and it is this, That be his People's Cause what will, they shall be honourably dealt with, and honourably carried through by him, and there shall be nothing wanting when they're put to sufferings, to bear their expenses for the honour of the Cause, but it shall be a gracious Cause by their great expense in suffering; this is clear in the 11 of the Revelations: There the witnesses are slain, and their Bodies left on the Ground unburied; Well, within three days and a half they rise again, and are carried into Heaven, and their being carried into Heaven is a greater terror to Enemies, than all they did among them: Our Master has so honourly born his people's Expenses, that he has made the Cause more glorious than all the actings, and many a time has his People had that to crack of, the more they were persecuted, the more they sang, who would have thought but a Prison and a sore Skin would have gart folk forget singing? and yet they never sang sweeter nor then; some says if they were in Prison two or three days, they would be carried out in Buyers, some says if they were in Prison they would forget singing; there shall neither Prisons nor sore Skins keep me from singing, TWO sing as well in Prison as in a Palace, and our singing in Prison and Bonds shall be for the credit of our Cause, as well as preaching at liberty. Poor Paul and Barnabas when they got many Stripes, and were easten in Prison,