who are its adverfaries, a quarrel wherein they fhould know neither friend nor brother, for this is to ftand in the breach when it is affaulted, to contend for the faith; O! bleffed contention, where fuch with that excellent man Melanchton can fay, non quæro gloriam propriam, fed veritatem. 4. Tho' this is a very fad and threatening fymptom, that night is coming on a church where the light fhines, but the heat and warming influence thereof is gone, yet here is a riddle, we find the Scripture does wonderfully unfold, how the Lord makes things bring forth contrary effects, and cause a remarkable confumption, that feems to reach the church in her inward and vital parts, refolve in an over-flowing with rightousness, Ifa. x. 22. yea, thus lets us fee a people fo far spent in life and fpirituality, that the things which remain are ready to die, whilft even there the Lord is purfuing their recovery: It is herein he makes his grace marvellous, to tryft his people's raifing with fo low a ftep of their condition, and cause his church, when brought to a small remnant take root downward, and bring forth fruit upward, Ifa. xxxvii. 31. It would feem a ftrange connection, but not ftrange to the grace of God, Pfal. cii. that the time of his favouring Zion, even that fet time fhould find her in a heap of ftones and rubbish; yea, that a reviving, and the breaking up of her day begins there with the weeping of her friends over her ruins, I fhall further add, with refpect to the prefent time, we may believe on very fure grounds, that godliness and the power thereof will yet break up in the world, though it were at the lowest ebb, yea, as at its laft breathing; that little fpunk now under afhes muft affurediy revive and blow up to a flame, yea, fend forth its heat to warm the nations; for on folid grounds we may thus reafon, if fuch a death-like decay had a refpect only to fome particular church, and if this withering abatement, and languifhing of the exercife of grace were confined but to a corner, it might be a fad prefage that their fun, when fo far declined and gone down were near to the fetting; but fince this feems to be a confumption over the whole earth, a matter of lamentation, and a spreading complaint through the

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whole reformed church, we may look on it as a very promifing ground of confidence and hope of a recovery; for if that be fure, the church univerfal cannot die under fuch a disease, it is also fure, this fickness is not unto death, yea, fo remarkable an oppofition to the power of godlinefs, as is this day through the world, we may judge a very refreshing prefage of fome more univerfal up-breaking of the same, wherein God will be feen by fome bleffed furprifal in a very immediate way; for there is hope of this tree, which in a special way he had himself planted, that it shall grow though now cut down, by the scent of waters, even by the river the streams whereof make glad the city of God; which can in old age caufe her to bring forth fruit: O what life is there in the church of Chrift when it feems to be buried! for she is in the root that cannot dry up, and herein must his promise and his people's praife meet, that her dry bones shall flourish as a green herb, there can be now no lefs appearance of this, than at that time when the Lord turned again the сар tivity of his people, which was fo little expected, Pfal. cxxvi. that they knew not whether it was a dream or real: It may indeed be a very humbling discovery, that we muft fay, our ruin is of ourselves; yet muft it not ruin our hope, fince in thefe great things which the Lord hath done for the church, the greatness of his power hath not been more clearly witneffed, than the freedom and fovereignty of his grace, that men may fee, this is the Lord's doing, and fhould be marvellous in their eyes..

4. May it not feem ftrange, and be matter of astonishment, that the great men of the earth, and fuch who fit in the place of judgment are ufually found to be greateft adverfaries to the church; yea, it is too well known, that magiftracy (fo excellent an ordinance of God) hath been fo far perverted, that even under the Chriftian magiftrate the church of Chrift hath fuffered more fince her firft breaking up, than from any other airth. This indeed may feem marvellous: I do not deny their have been great men in the world, who have no lefs outfhined others in fervour and zeal for the truth, than

in their place and quality; but Oh! we may fay, an age brings forth few fuch, and that which Salvian fays of his time, hath been a true remark in moft ages of the world, and too frequently feen, that the contempt upon religion, by thefe who were greatest in power, had this effect, Ut malicogantur effe, ne viles habeantur. I confefs, this may caufe wonder, if we confider for what end the great Law-giver hath defigned that ordinance, how men fhould fo far counteract his intereft, from whom they derive their power, and for being fubfervient thereto have received it. Sure the doctrine of the church of Chrift can give no ground of quarrel, and its ftrange thefe fhould expect from others homage and fubjection, who turn the feat of judgment to be a grievous yoke, and deny their fubjection fo avowedly to the great judge. O! how fad is it, that none are oft such a terror to the godly, fuch a fupport to evil-doers as magiftrates, and the great men of the world fo ufually found to be the greatest examples of wickednefs; this fhould indeed be matter of lamentation; yea, that these are oft-times advanced, who have nothing to commend them, but fome advance beyond others in a higher measure of impiety: but we muft go to the Scripture, and there enquire, which will fhew, 1. That it is not ftrange, though iniquity have a throne, under whose shadow mifchief may not only fhelter, but come that length, to be framed into a law, Pfal. xciv. 20. yea, it muft not be ftrange, that the adverfaries of the truth be among the chief of the time; which complaint we find Lam. 1. 5. The world is not yet cured of that madnefs, of which the prophet fpeaks with amazement, Pfal. ii. 1. why the kings and rulers of the earth fhould attempt a vain thing, to ruin the church, and make his decree void, who by his word created the world? We may fee it is not of late the fervants of Christ have been conveened before rulers, in defence of the truth, and have suffered by the law, where the crime was, their adherence to the exprefs command of the great Lawgiver, Luke xxi. 12. It is also clear, the kings of the earth, for many ages have, amidst all their private differences, with

one confent agreed to make war with the Lamb, and give their ftrength for up-holding Antichrift; yet is this nothing elfe, but what the Scripture hath foretold, Rev. xvii. It was written of an excellent man, in the days of Phocas, that after fome humble expoftulating with the Lord, why he fet up fo vile a wretch in the higheft place of power, that he had this return, Quia non inveni pejorem: Herein is the way of the Lord unfpotted, how fad fo ever it be in itself, that these who fhould execute judgment for the oppreffed, are in his holy displeasure made the executioners of his judgments on men, and fhew themselves the greatest oppreffors. 2. If this be ftrange to us, does not the Scripture prevent our ftumbling, by a moft fweet and choice antidote, that when we fee the oppreffion of the poor, and fuch a wrathful afpect rulers ufually have on the church of God, we should not marvel, or be much moved thereat, even when we fee thefe whom death hath plucked away, and with shame rolled in the grave, still return with the fame refemblance in their fucceffors, and piety in all ages run down by power, for it is written, that he who is higher than the highest doth regard the fame, Eccl. v. 8. O! how far are they below God, yea, infinitely below him, who are highest among men; hath not their violence and oppreffion of the church him for a witnefs, whom they must alfo have for a judge? And the further they feem raifed above human reach, they lie more near to fome immediato ftroke of a divine hand, that when there is no reprover on earth, none there to give their cruelty against the church a check, he fits in heaven who laughs them to fcorn, which they thall find to be fad carneft, when he fpeaks to them in wrath, and vexes them in his fore difpleafure. 3. Does not the Scripture witnefs the Lord's bleffed defign in this, to make his church thrive another way, when the is deftitute of the help and countenance of civil authority, and thus lead her into him, who hath the key of David, that opens, and none can flut, unto him who is a known refuge for the oppreffed; it is here he declares Bimfelf to be God, and the greatnefs of his power, who can keep her alive, and preferve his in

tereft in a destroying flame, and under a cruel oppreffing mas giftrate; yea, thus caufe her to flourish in his days, and have peace in his reign, even under the grievous reign of her adverfaries. Do we not likewife find, Neh. ix. 36. the church's diftrefs there, and oppreffion from her rulers make them refolve in a more near tie and conjunction with God, which is feen in the last verfe, And because of this we make a fure cove nant, &c. O bleffed violence and oppreffion that lands here! where the ftorm drives to fuch an anchor, as a further cleave ing to the Lord, and furrender of themfelves. 4. As the Scripture prevents men's ftumbling at this ordinary fuffering of the church under magiftracy, it does also witness the Lord's contending very remarkably against these on such an account, and clearly fheweth, that no human greatnefs can secure from him, who cuts off the fpirit of princes, and is terri ble to the kings of the earth; confider Pfal. ii. ix. and xciii. 4. It is here we may read the caufé of the changes of kingdoms and ftates, that are fo frequent in the world, whatever influence perfonal interest seem to have, there is a holy revenging God, and his arm made bare therein upon the quarrel of his church, that he may recompence tribulation to thefe who have troubled her; none need wonder that flourishing ftates are broken in fuch a quarrel, to fee the fupreme head of the church, (that in all things he may have the preeminence) wound the head over many countries, and rule the nations with an iron rod, yea, turn great men out of their grandeur and authority, and throw them down, for the caufe is obvious, they keep no bounds and marches with the kingdom of Jefus Chrift, but will be over, and invade his intereft, until he who must reign, and have all dominion and power fubjected to him, carry that war back upon themselves, and ftand up against such evil neighbours, for his own right, for which he will strike through kings in the day of his wrath, yea, pursue the race and feed of fuch oppreffors, the father and the children, as a ftanding 'quarrel from generation to generation. 5. It is fure corrupt magiftracy is one of the great plagues of God on the world, wherein his unfpotted