ftanders, which truely fheweth, that his wind doth blow on his garden, when the fpices fend forth fo pleasant a scent.

Fourth, We find an exprefs promife in the word, of deliverance to the church, in a low and oppreffed condition, that furely the Lord will plead her caufe, will deliver his people, when he feeth their ftrength is gone, and fave them from the hands of their enemies, Pfal. xviii. 47, 48, 50. Pfal, xxii. 4, 5. Ifa. liv. 17. Ifa. li. 23 rod !

It is true, this promife hath its bounds, limits, and provifions, which fhould be taken along in the application thereof, we know the covenant of God with particular churches is conditional only, he promifeth that he will be with them while they are with him; yea, it is oft feen, (and there is no jar here with this promife) that a people profeffing the gospel, confederate with God, following duty, have even turned their back before the enemy, and in the holy providence of God, have for a time been given up to their fierce rage and violence; but it is alfo fure, that this promise hath an accomplishment, and in the day of the church's ftrait the Lord hath oft appeared, by a strong out-stretched hand för her help, his own arm brought falvation to his people, when they fought to him; for God is known in her palaces for a refuge; yea, furely the church might oft fing that fong on fuch clear grounds, as though with Ifrael the had been ftanding at the Red-fea, Thy right hand, O Lord, is full of power, thy right hand hath dafhed in pieces thy enemies for what nation or people is like this, to whom he hath fhewed fuch marvellous things., begerand

Now to fhew forth the faithfulness of God in this promise, I would offer fome few things that are a most clear and undeniable witness thereto.

1. There are few ages, but we have fome record of the church's condition, which hold forth fuch fignal convincing providences of God, in behalf of this oppreffed church and people, as may be a manifeft feal to this truth; it is true, fometimes have been more remarkable for fuffering times of judgment, and of a growing trial, wherein this truth hatly

not fo clearly fhined forth, yea, that long night which the church had under Antichrift, might feem to call it in queftion; but nevertheless, if men take a serious look of the Lord's way, and feries of providence in ages paft, comparing one time with another, what the ftraits, and moft extreme cafe of the church hath at laft refolved in, they will find caufe to cry with astonishment, Great deliverances giveth he to his people; yea, the Lord hath done great things for them. I am fure, were there a full record, with that true account which might be given, of thefe more remarkable deliverances that particular churches have met with, fince the first planting of the gospel among them, wherein God's very immediate hand for their help hath been discernable, it should nonplus the world, and greatest Atheists, anent the real outmaking of this promife.

2. The confeflion even of the church's enemies, hath oft witneffed this truth, that in purfuing their malice to trouble and undo her, they have but undone themfelves; how tormenting difappointments have caufed their very flefh to pine away, and the clofe and issue of their rage forced this conviction from them at laft, that the church is a burdenfome stone to be lifted up, a party with whom it is full of hazard to meddle; have not fuch been made to difcern fomething of a divine hand fo clearly against them, blafting their counfels, and most promifing attempts, as if their eyes, with Balaam, had been opened to fee the angel in their way;` yea, in all ages it is known how the confcience, even of the worst, hath oft bewrayed fomething of a prefaging fear they have had of these whom they pursued with greatest malice, and a dreadful impreffion they had of a praying people, and their

prayers.

3. This truth hath had the cleareft witness in times of the church's greatest strait and extremity, when difficulties have appeared infuperable, and an out-gate in an ordinary way of providence most hopeless, when vifible means have been withdrawn, all refuge failed, and none to help, that in fuch a day the Lord hath been feen upon the mount, and unex

pectedly, by very frange means, brought deliverance to a broken, almoft ruined church, even, as it were, betwixt the bridge and the water; fo that who would have a clear view of the accomplishment of this promife, may but turn back on thefe more remarkable extreme exigences of the church's condition, and there have it, how oft a fweet fun-fhine hath followed the moft dark and cloudy times, a raging form hath refolved into a refreshing calm; yea, that with a further growth of the church's trial and doubling of her burden, her enlargement and out-gate hath broken up with thefe great and obvious remarks therein, that it was a convincing return of prayer and wrestling with a further addition of fonie new and fingular mercy therewith, yea, fome eminent at of judgment upon her adverfaries. not to unite 4. The greatest advantage and victories, which men have got over the churches and people of God, can alfo bear. witness to this, that when the wicked have fprung up likethe grafs, and the workers of iniquity feemed to flourish, this very way hath the Lord taken to bring about a more full de liverance: yea, on the other hand, had it not been very obvious how the church's gain hath been brought forth out of greatcft dofs, that thefe wounds which feemed most deadly, by the infinitely wife providence of God, have turned to her most effectual and thorough cure, and men's unreasonable violence and rage against the church hath oft had an evident? tendency to bring about even that whereto it feemed moft directly contrary, fome further mercy and deliverance, than could have been expected, as the Amorites refufing Ifrael but paffage through their land, did prove the very mean to give them more than they fought, the poffeffion of that land for an inheritance.

5. This witnefs, the obfervation of the church in all ages. can bear to this promife, that deliverance hath oft fprung up, and been brought to her hand from an airth, and by fuch means, as none would have expected, by fuch, as none but God could do; a fudden report and rumour, 1 Sam. xxiii. 27. means that have been not only fmall and improbable, but

that looked directly contrary, as in bringing the church out of Egypt, yea, fometimes by the wicked's being infnared in the work of their own hands, is it not obvious, how the Lord hath tryfted men's private interesfts to put them on, for befriending his church? and hath caufed the earth to help the woman, and raised up one oppreffor to punish another, yea, often hath prepared carpenters, whence it was leaft thought, to cut the horns of these who had scattered his people.

6. There is this convincing witness to the truth of such a promife, that fudden remarkable change, which may be oft difcerned both on men's inward frame, and the outward face of the church, when a time of mercy, and enlargement is come; inftruments raised of the Lord with a difcernable elevation of their spirits to act and do exploits, the feeble then made strong, and these who sometimes would have fainted at an ordinary piece of fervice, dare with fuch a gale of divine affiftance run, as it were, through a troop, and overleap a wall; for indeed this may in all ages be obvious, how eafy it is to move in the day when the Lord moveth for his people, and ftrengtheneth the girdle of their loins, that it was not their! bow or sword, which got them the victory, but the very fin ger of God, something above the counfels of men, ordinary means, which hath fometimes been made fo clear as the noonday, fo that even at fome diftance, thefe who are wife: to difcern the times, did fee when there was a breaking up of a day of a church's hope, how a previous motion, and stir: amongst the dry bones, the Lord as in the top of the mulber ry-trees, hath been then difcernable, and fome promising appearance from the prefent difpofition, and temper of the godly in that time, (though we muft grant,, merey and fovereign grace hath oft tryfted the church when little of this hath appeared) which, like the breaking up of that cloud in the top f mount Carmel to the prophet, though at firft but as an hand-breadth, hath fhewed that deliverance to the church was not far off. ཀ ཀ་ལ་པངས་པ

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7. I would add this witnefs alfes, these convincing providences, which in all ages have been fhewed against the ene

mies of the church, fuch as men could not pafs without fome remark, what an iffue these have had, who have fome times been a fore rod on the people of God, yea, a terror in the land of the living? how they have become a most abject and contemptible party, like bees who have loft their sting; their countenance hath been changed, and they ceased to be any more a fear, when once their work was done, and the date of their commiflion for the humbling, and trying of the church expired; yea, a judicial stroke from the Lord, hath been often feen upon their very judgment and refolutions, which could not then ferve them to trouble and afflict the church, the day being turned, and the time of her deliver

Fifth, There is this promise alfo, which concerneth the church in general, as well as Chriftians in their personal cafe, that all things work together for the good of these who love God, Rom. viii. 28. the accomplishment whereof, as it is written out in providence to the obfervation of men, I would here touch.

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This is indeed a great comprehenfive promife, which in the conftant course, and tenor of providence about the church we may fee, it doth take place, how these turnings and changes of the world, the moft ftrange emergents of the time, the various motions and interefts of men, do co-ope rate together, and have an undoubted tendency to bring forth the church's good, as though they did intentionally act for the fame, there will indeed one day, be a more clear and marvellous discovery of this, when the Lord hath perfected his work, and the mystery of God is finished, the church brought fafe to the harbour, then shall it be fully manifeft, to what end all thefe ftorms, and crofs winds in the counfels and defigns of men were, these things which in the time could not be understood, but feemed perplexed and strange, did really work for the church's good, for then men will fee with their eyes a full performance of the word; yet we mustsay, even here, in every age amidst the various changes of the church's cafe, this hath a clear out-making, that there