difcernable. 1. How fuch have usually been most noted as the greatest and most violent enemies, which the church hath at any time had, yea, that no courfe hath been so evil and grofs, that hath wanted fome of thefe to help it on, whofe hatred and perfecution of the godly, hath been found to exceed the moft openly profane and profligate in that time. 2. That as they are particularly threatened above others in the word, fo they get alfo fome remarkable cast above others in their judgment, and having once loft their favour, become vile and loathfome, even to the worst of men, are contemptible in the eyes of fuch whom they feek in a finful way to please, yea, have a worse favour, than the profaneft wretches, that being verified in them, Corruptio optimi, peffima. 3. That these do feldom make a good retreat from an evil way; fo as it is an ufual obfervation, it is rare for church-men to repent, or a fallen ftar to fhine again. 4. Are not fuch oft fmitten even in their gifts, which we may fee wither, and dry up upon them, while not faithfully improved. yea; to the very conviction of their hearers, to have loft that edge which once they had in their miniftry? 5. I must add another remark, (though I defire to deal with fear and much tenderness, in fuch an application of the judgment of God): how the Lord doch oft put fome note of his wrath on the children and offspring of unfaithful minifters, that it hath been-feen none more wretched and grofs; whereas their evil practice and example hath been a fpecial help, fo likewife are they [thus punished of the Lord, who did not feek to beget children to him by the word, but through their way did rather caufe many to err and fall,

AVING spoke fomething how the Scripture both as to the promises and threatenings thereof, is evidently fulfilled in the Lord's ordinary way of procedure with his church, I would a little further follow this argument, how this alfo hath a manifold accomplishment, even in these moft

Atrange and dark paffages of providence, whereat men are ready to stumble and challenge the spotlefs righteousness of God, and his faithfulness therein; but if we lay them to this measure and line of the word, which is ftretched over the whole work of providence, we will fee how well these do agree, and anfwer one to the other, yea, that all the paths wherein God walketh towards his church and people, are furely mercy and truth.x.

To clear this, I shall point at fome footsteps of the provi dence of God in the world, and about the church, which would seem most dark, yea, a contradiction to his word and promife, but are plain and manifeft, if weighed in the bal ance of the fanctuary, where we may have a fatisfying look and refolution of thefe things, which otherwife would be too hard for us to understand, and may fee, how ftraight these paths are, which we thought crooked; yea, how eafy and paffable, the greatest deeps of providence would be, both as to God's way with his church, and in our own particular cafe, when once they are set over against the word I fhall touch this a little in thefe following inftances. boels Ladu - y

1. It may feem ftrange how the church's trouble and ftrait is oft feen to increafe, with the first stirrings of her delivere ance; yea, when fome remarkable mercy and out-gate is in the bringing forth, the first step thereof would feem to put her further back, and in a worfe condition than before. This is indeed a piece of the Lord's way with his church, swhich in many inftances may be witneffed, but let us take the word along therewith, and we will find. 1. How the church is oft at the brink of the grave, even when her bafe is upon a turm, and how it is congruous to his way (whofe paths are in the deep waters, who clothes himself with darkness, that men fhould not find any thing after him, or lay down abfolute conclufions concerning his dealing) that the motions of pro vidence should be oft so perplexed and various! 2. Did not the cafe of the church in Egypt seem much worse, their burdens doubled upon them, even when their deliverance was breaking up? 3 Jofeph to be fold as a flave, and in Egypt.

turned into a dungeon, would feem fteps of providence, very unlike the thing which God was driving at thereby, and yet we fee how kindly thefe did work towards the fame. 4. The church in Micah iv. ro. When he was even at the door next to a deliverance, her trial was even at the greatest height, be in pain and labour to bring forth, for ye fhall go to Babylon, and there be delivered: but foreft pangs in the birth do ufually promise the best iffue. 5. It was the step of the providence of God, which of all feemed moft dreadful to the church in Efther, the fealing of the decree, and fending it forth to root out the whole feed of the Jews, while Haman ftill flourished, but lo, there was the very step that wrought moft thoroughly for her deliverance, and is not a wet mourning feed time a Scripture-presage of a good harvest.

2. The fore interruptions which a people's endeavours for . reformation, and to promote the kingdom of Christ have met with, even when fet about with a clear call, yea, folemn and ferious engagements to God, would seem strange, and a fhaking piece of providence; and truely this is oft feen, as an usual attendant on reformation, how infuperable-like difficulties, and unexpected lets do grow up in the way thereof; thus when Luther, and other inftruments were raifed up in Germany, to pursue the church's reformation, what cruel tdicts were then fet forth to give it a dash? division among themfelves, the rifing up of the Boors, and Anabaptifts: what a pure and thorough reformation was on foot under Edward the fixth in England, and what a dreadful storm did quickly break it up, for that time? and I would add, what the prefent cafe of the church in Britain and Ireland may at this day witness, where once the Lord fo eminently appeared in a begun reformation, which now is at fo great a fland, but let us go into the Scripture with this and we will finds

There is a vive portraiture of providence in the affairs of the church held forth in that vifion which Ezekiel had of the wheels at the river Chebar, whofe myfterious motions, and turnings fo erofs one to the other, without any discord there, as to the end, to which they were directed, doth witnefs

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the rational, and wife conduct of providence: the Lord'a work about his church is a moft fhadowed and elaborate piece, which men cannot fee before their eyes, as they fee behind upon a review, while ordinary caufes do oft vary in their operation, yea, go out of the common road, but Scripture will make this very plain. 2. Was not Nehemiah, Ezra, and Zerubbabel at their work and duty, and had an exprefs call for building of the temple, yet, how great and frequent interruptions did they find, fometimes environed with difficulties, Zech. iv. 7. Who art thou On great moun tain before Zerubbabel? yea, they were put to hold the sword and build, to watch and work at once, because of their ene mies. 3. What a very fore backfet was the church at, Hab. iii. 2. Revive thy work, O Lord, in the midst of the years, this was both a great and long interruption, yea, do we not find her almost at a non-plus with a query, which no visible appearance could anfwer, By whom shall Jacob arife, for he is fmall? 4. We find a special reformation fet on foot by Hezekiah, with a folemn covenant by the princes, priests, and body of the people, with a fetting up of the pure worship and ordinances of God, but lo a fharp ftorm is foon after, by Sennacherib, yea, Hezekiah is fcarcely in his grave, when his fon doth bring in corruption and perfecution both af once; and when the Chriftian church in the times of the apostles began to flourish, fuccefs following the gospel, did not a fad interruption and feattering follow? Acts viii. 55 This is promifed that Zion's walls fhall even in trouble fome times be built, and her being brought to heap of rubbisli, was but making way for a further advance, that in the building of her again the Lord might appear in his glory; and is it not clear, that Chrift coming in the gofpeband power. thereof, to purge his church and carry on a reformation, Mal. iii. 4. proveth a fearching and trying time, which men cannot endure, for the word and clear difcovery of fin, and other fhaking difpenfations, which do ufually attend fuck times, and torment them who dwell on the earth, yea, and

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put the devil and corruption of men aloft, with all rage to oppofe the fame

3. That a fad overclouding and darkness fhould come on a land, after most special manifestations of the power and glory of God therein, and that a time of the gofpel, with much light, fhould be fo near a forerunner of wrath and judgment, would seem a strange piece of providence, and cause a serious enquiry, how fuch eminent appearances of God for a people, fuch great confirmations, obfervable fuccefs for a time, with many fignal encouragements, fhould all feem to refolve in a defolating stroke and ruin? This may be instan ced in that proteftant war in France, where inftruments were remarkably raised, fitted of the Lord for the fervice of that time, had much of his prefence and countenance, yet to refolve thus in a bloody maffacre; likewife, thefe confederate German princes, Saxony and Landgrave of Heffe, men emil nent for piety, carried forth with much zeal for God, for defence of the truth, yea, in the beginning of that war hav ing many promifing encouragements, yet, remarkably deferted of the Lord, with very fad like confequences following the fame. Let us confideralfool the late Bohemian war, ftated upon neceflary defence of religion and liberty, and at first attended with fome fmiling providences; fhould refolve into fo great a defolation and ruin: Yea, the church of Ire land, Owhat a dreadful maffucre of the proteftants there did quickly follow one of thes moft folemn times of the pow en of God, and out-pouring of the Spirit, that we ever heard of fince the days of the apostles, confefs, this may have a frange afpect, and is a part of the marvellous ways of the Lord, but when we take it into the word, we will find there is no jar, or difcord here, for, fr.It might feem as frange and aftonishing, what Baruch got from the Lord, in answer to his complaint, Jer. xlv that he would pluck up what he had planted, and caft down that which he had built; for a work to be thus thrown down, where the Lord had once fo eminently appeared, and given his people/many confirmations, might. then occafion great thoughts of heart, yet, the unfpotted

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