the Lord but this place was long ago destroyed 2. For the blessed Angels Ye are come to mount Sion to the heavenly Jerusalem to an innumerable company of Angels 3. For the congregation Psalm 87. 2. of Saints of Believers of which it is said The Lord loves the Gates of Sion more than all the habitations of Jacob. The believing Jews being sorely oppressed afflicted by a long captivity and by many great and matchless miseries that did befal them in their captive state they Dan. 9. 22. Lam. 4. 6. look upon God as one that had quite forsaken them and forgotten them but they were under a very high mistake and very erronious in their complaint as appears by Gods answer to Sion Verse 15. Can a Woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the Son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Verse 16. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands thy walls are continually before me In these words as in a christal glass you may see how pathetically how sweetly how graciously how readily how resolutely God â—oth engage himself that he will neither forsake Sion nor yet forget Sion in her captive state Now let us a little observe how this singular promise is amplified and that 1. By an emphatical illustration Gods compassionate remembring of Sion far transcends the most compassionate remembrance of the tendrest Mother to her dear sucking Babe Now this is laid down First interrogatively Can a Woman the most affectionate sex forget her sucking Child from having compassion on the Son of her womb Can a Woman can a Mother so forget as not to compassionate a Child which she naturally inclines to pity A sucking Child that hangeth on her breast such as Mothers are wont to be most chary of and to be most tenderly affected towards her sucking Child which together with the milk from the breast draws love from her heart her sucking Child of her own womb which her bowels do more yearn over than they do over any sucking nurs-Nurs-child in the world and this the Son of her womb which the Mother usually embraceth with more warm affections than the Daughter of her womb Can a Woman yea can a Mother forget to exercise love pity and compassion to such a poor Babe surely very rarely 2. Affirmatively Yea they may forget It s possible that a Woman may be so unwomanly and that a Mother may be so unmotherly in some cases and in some extremities as to forget her sucking Child yea as to eat the fruit of 2 Kings 6. 24. to 30. Lan. 4. 10. her womb as the pitiful Women did boil and eat their own children in the siege of Samaria and Jerusalem Extremity of hunger overmastred natural affections and made the pitiful Mothers require of their children those lives which not long before they had given them laying their children not in her bosoms but in their bowels Thirdly negatively Yet will I not forget thee God will be more constantly unmovably and unchangeably mindful of Sion and tender of Sion and compassionate of Sion and watchful over Sion than any Mother could be over her youngling yea he would be more motherly to his poor captives in Babylon than any Mother could be to her sucking Babe 2. This precious promise is amplified by a convincing argumentation and that parâ—ly from his engraving of them upon the palms of his hands This is an allusion say some to those that carry about with them engraven on some tablet or on the stone of some ring which they wear on their finger the mark name or picture of some person they entirely affect their portraiture their memorial was like a signet graven upon his hand God will assoon blot out of mind and forget his own hands as his Sion and partly from his placing their walls still in his fight the ruined demolished walls of Jerusalem were still before him as to their commiseration and to their reparation God being fully resolved in the fittest season to raise and reedifie them Look as the workman hath his model or pattern constantly either before his eye or in his thoughts or in his brain that he is for to work by So saith God Sion is continually in my eye Sion is still in my thoughts I shall never forsake her I shall never forget her But Sixthly the Lord will be signally present with his 6 Reason People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers because of his propriety and interest in them and his near and dear relation to them Isa 43. 1. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee O Jacob and he that formed thee O Israel fear not for I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine Thou art mine for I have made thee thou art mine for I Esa 15. 16. 1 Cor. 6. 20. 1 Pet. 1. 18. have chosen thee thou art mine for I have bought thee I have purchased thee thou art mine for I have called thee thou art mine for I have redeemed thee thou art mine for I have stampt mine image upon thee thou art Ph. 4. 23 24. 36. 26 27. miâ—â— for I have put my Spirit into thee Now mark what follows Verse 2. When thâ—â— passest through the Waters I will be with thee and through the Rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee God will certainly keep his own People his own Children company both in the fire and in the water that is in those various tryals and troubles that they are incident Isa 54 5. P. â— 103. 13 14. Exod. 15. 3. Mal 4. 2. Mat. 9. 12. Psalm 23. 1. tâ— in this World When should a Husband be with his wife but when she is in greatest troubles and a Father with his child but when he is in deep distresses and a General with his Army but when they are in greatest dangers When should the Physician be most with his Patient but when he is most desperately sick and when should the Shepherd be nearest his sheep but when they are diseased and the wolf is at hand Now God you know stands in all these relations to his People and therefore he will not fail to be near them when troubles distresses and dangers are growing upon them But Seventhly the Lord will be signally present with his 7 Reason People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers because such times are commonly times of great and sore temptations when â—ods hand is heaviest then Satan will be busiest the Devil is never Job 2. 7 8. Mat. 9 4. Heb 2 18. more violent in his temptations than when the Saints are under afflictions Jam. 1. 2. My Brethren count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations that is afflictions Verse 12. Blessed is the man that endureth
Nebuchadnezzar nor his Princely Informers nor his fiery Furnace could never bring the three Children to his bow the three Dan. 3. Champions would be Non-conformists though Court City and Country were violent for Conformity Neither Darius his Presidents nor Princes could ever bring Dan. 6. Daniel to their bow Daniel would keep off from idolatry and keep close to his God and close to his duty let all his enemies do their worst The Rulers and Elders of Israel charged the Apostles and threatned the Apostles and beat the Apostles and commanded the Apostles Acts 3. ibid. 4. and 5. that they should not speak in the Name of Jesus but they could never bring them to their bow For they Acts 5. 41. 42. departed from the presence of the Council rejoycing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his Name and daily in the Temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ Pharaoh by all his oppressions could never bring Israel to his bow Nor Saul by all his persecutions could never bring David to his bow Nor Haman by all his plots and designs could never bring Mordecai to his bow and Paul will rather dye upon the Acts 20. 21 22 23 24. cap. 21. 13. spot than be brought to his enemies bow The ten persecuting Emperours could never bring the primitive Christians to their bow Nor the bloody fierce and fiery Papists could never bring the Martyrs to their bow as you may see through out the Books of Martyrs Among the many hundred instances that are there I shall only refresh your memory with this one There were Endeavours to bring Hawkes to their bow but all in Fox Acts and Mon. p. 1447. vain at last some of his Christian Friends desired him for their encouragment and confirmation to give some token when he was in the flames a strange time one would think to attend upon signs by Friends whether pains were tolerable or no. He was bound to the stake fire put to the wood it burns it flames it consumes his flesh his eyes start out of his head his fingers are consumed with the fire and when every one thought him dead expecting the fall of his body lo suddenly he lifts up his stumps and thrice as a famous conquerour he claps them over his head In this he was more than a Conquerour In former times the sense of the love of God made the Martyrs esteem Tyrants as gnats and fleas and torments as the fleabitings Tertullian speaking of his times saith Accâ—satio votumest paena faeliâ—itas Tert. advers Gent. that to be accused was the wish of Christians and punishment for Christ they counted felicity A certain Woman â—unning in all hast with her child in her arms being asked the cause O saith she I hear a great sort of Christians are appointed to be martyred and I am afraid lest I and my little one come too late When the Emperour Valens banished Basil and the Tribune threatned his death I would said Basil I had any thing of worth I would bestow it on him that should cut Basil's wind-pipe and when he had that night given him to deliberate he answered That he should be the same man to morrow and wished that the Tribune would not be changed Chrysostome being in banishment by the means of Eudoxia the Empress wrote to a Bishop called Cyriacus and upon occasion tells of his resolution before he was banished I thought with my self saith he that if she will banish me the Earth is the Lords if she will saw me asunder I remembred the Prophet â—say if drown me Jonas came to my mind if stone me I thought of Stephen if behead me of John Baptist if take away my goods Naked came I out of my mothers womb By all which you may clearly see that let the wicked do their worst they can never bring the Saints to their bow But Fifthly If God be with us who can be against us I answer none so as to hinder the operation of all things for our good When men and devils have done their worst all the great troubles deep distresses and most deadly dangers that do attend the Saints shall work for their good Rom. 8. 28. And we know that all I have read of a Jewish Rabbin who would still say it was good what ever befel him when he met with a cross he would say it was good when he met with a loss he would say it is good things work together for good to them that love God to them that are called according to his purpose In this Verse there are two things observable First a proposition or a glorious priviledge All things work together for good This word 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Work together is a physical expression several poysonful ingredients put together being tempered by the skilful Apothecary make a soveraign medicine and work together for the good of the Patient they work together not invicem between themselves but together with God not of their own nature for so they do not co-operate but contra-operate but being sanctified by God And therefore one takes the verb passively are wrought for indeed take away God and afflictions work for our hurt but all Gods providences â—eing divinely tempered and sanctified do work together for the best to the People of God When the worst of men have done their worst against the Saints all things shall sweetly concur yea conspire for their good 2. The proof which is double 1. From the experience of all Saints We know it is not a matter pendulous or doubtful The Apostle doth not say We think but We know Nor he doth not say We hope but We know Nor he doth not say We guess we conjecture but We know Nor he doth not say We desire that all things may work together for good but We know all things work together for good Nor he doth not say We pray that all things may work together for good but We know all Judg. 14. 12 13 14. things work together for good The wicked know not this secret as the Philistins understood not Sampsons riddles but we know that all the world shall not hinder the cross from working for our good 2. From a dâ—scription of them that love God they are called according to Gods purpose That is God hath purposed the salvation of his People he hath chosen them to salvation and called them to it and therefore it must needs be that all these afflictions that befal his People must work together for their internal and eternal good otherwise he should do that which should cross his own purpose which wise men will not do and O how much less will the most wise God act counter cross to his own purpose So Jer. 24. 5. Thus saith the Lord the God of Israel Like these good Figs so will I acknowledge them that are carried away captive of Judah whom I have sent out of this
hence Nothing would satisfie Moses below the presence of God because he knew that they were as good never move a foot further as to go on without Gods favourable presence God engages himself that he will drive out the Canaanite the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizite Verse 2. and the Hivite and the Jebusite out of the Land O but if thy presence go not with me carry us up not hence I will bring the necks of all thy proud stout strong and subtle Enemies under thy feet O but if thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence I but I will bring Deut. 32. 13 14 15 16. thee to a land flowing with milk and honey I will make thee to ride on the high places of the earth and I will make thee to suck honey out of the rock and oyl out of the flinty rock and thou shalt drink the pure blood of the grape O but if thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence I will bring thee to the Paradice of the world to a place of pleasure and delight to Canaan a Type of Heaven O but if thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence O Lord if I might have my wish my desire my choice I had infinitely rather to live in a barren howling wilderness with thy presence then in Canaan wihtout it It is a mercy to have an Angel to Guard us it is a mercy to have our Enemies sprawling under our feet it is a mercy to be brought into a pleasant Land O but if thy presence go not with me carry us not up hence Lord nothing will please us nothing will profit us nothing will secure us nothing-will satisfie us without thy presence and therefore if thy presence go not with us carry us not up hence I have read of the Tyrians that they bound their Gods with chains that they might not in their greatest need pass over to the Enemy and among the rest they chained and nailed thier God Apollo to a post that they might be sure to keep their Idol because they thought their safety was in it I am sure our safety our comfort our all lyes in the signal presence of God with us and therefore let us by Faith and Prayer chain God to us if we let him go a thousand worlds cannot make up his absence I suppose you have heard of the Palladium of the Heathens in Troy they imagined that so long as that Idol was kept safe they were inconquerable all the strength and power of Greece were never able to prevail against them whrefore the Grecians sought by all the means they could to get it from them O my Friends so long as you keep the presence of God with you I am sure you are unconquerable but if God withdraw his presence the weakest Enemy will be too hard for you yea wounded men will prevail over you Jer. 37. 10. For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you and there remained but wounded men among them yet should they rise up and burn this City with fire The Bush which was a Type of the Church consumed not while it burned with fire because God was in the midst of it O do but keep God in the midst of you and nothing shall hurt you nothing shall burn you but if God depart nothing can secure â—ou nor nothing can make up his withdrawing from you But Thirdly To move you so to order demean and 3. Motiâ—e carry yourselves as that you may enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in the greatest troubles and deepest distresses consider that if you do not labour to demean order and carry your selves so as that you may enjoy the favourable signal and eminent presence of God with you in your greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers you have high reason to question whether ever you have really enjoyed this favourable this signal presence of God with you or no for there are alwayes four things to be found in him that has really tasted and in good earnest experienced the sweet the life the power the vertue that is in the favourable signal presence of God 1. Such a person sets the highest price and value imaginable upon it he prizes it above all the honours riches dignities delights comforts and contents of this world Psalm 4. 6 7. Yea he prizes it above life it self Psalm 63. 3. Thy loving kindness is better than life the Hebrew is plural Chajim lives The loving kindness of God the presence of God in a wilderness is better than lives than many lives than all lives with the appurtenances There is a greater excellency in the favour of God in the presence of God than in all lives put together There have been many Persons that have been weary of their lives but there 1 Kings 19. 4. Job 7. 15. Jona 4. 8. Prov. 28. 14. never was any man that has been weary of the favour of God of the presence of God 2. Such a Person keeps up in his soul an humble fear of losing of it The Divine presence is a Jewel more worth than all the world and he that has experienced the sweetness of it had rather lose all he has in this world than lose it I have read of a Religious woman that having born nine Children professed that she had rather endure all the pains of those nine Travels at once than endure the misery of the loss of Gods presence 3. Such a person keeps up in his soul a diligent care to maintain this presence his head his heart is still a contriving how he may keep his God with him Jerem. 14. 4. Why shouldest thou be as a man astonied as a mighty man that cannot save yet thou O Lord are in the midst of us and we are called by thy Name leave us not This Person had rather that his dearest Friends should leave him that his nearest Relations should leave him yea that all the world should leave him than that his God should leave him The daily yea the hourly language of his soul is Lord leave me not though all the world should leave me yet don't thou leave me 4. Such a Person will do all he can that all under his John 1. 40. to the end Cap. 4. 28. to 43. Acts 10. 24. to 36. Judges 14. 8 9. care and charge may partake of this signal presence of God he will do his utmost that Children Yoak-fellow Kindred Servants may tast the sweetness of the Divine presence When Sampson had found honey in the Carcass of the Lion he did not only eat himself but he gave of the honey to his Father and Mother and they did eat also of all sweets the presence of God is the greatest sweet and when ever a poor soul comes to tast of this heavenly honey he will do his best that all others especially those that are near and dear to him
fourth to be as the words do literally bear the very true Son of God our Lord and Saviour who is signally present with his People in their greatest extremities and most deadly dangers Zach. 1. 8. I saw by night and behold a man riding upon a red Horse and he stood amongst the myrtle-trees that were in the bottom and behind him were there red borses speckled and white The man riding upon the red Horse is the Man Christ 1 Tim. 2. 5. Josh 4. 14. Heb. 2. 10. Among the Romans the Crown or Garland of those that did shout for victory or ride in triumph was made of myrtle Plin. lib. 15. cap. 29. Jesus 't is the Captain of the Lords Host and the Captain of our Salvation Christ is here represented in his Kingly state under the Type of a Man riding on a red Horse and having his Royal Attendants for under the Type of red Horses speckled and white behind him is represented his having Angels for Ministers and all Creatures ready for every dispensation whether sad represented by red or comfortable represented by white or mixed of mercy and judgment represented by speckled Horses Christ is here represented as a Man on horseback ready to make out or sally forth for the good of his People when they are at the lowest The low afflicted and suffering state of the Church is fitly compared to Myrtle-trees that grow in a shady grove in vallies and bottoms and by waters sides now when his People are in a very low condition then Christ appears on horse-back for his Peoples protection and their Enemies confusion Christ will be sure to lodge with his People when they are at lowest when the Church is in danger Christ is not asleep he is alwayes ready upon his red Horse watching all opportunities and advantages to shew his zeal and courage for his People and his severity and fury against their Enemies The Man that stood amongst the Myrtle-trees Verse 10. is that Man Christ Jesus whose special residence is with his People when they are in the most low dangerous and forlorn condition no troubles no distresses no dangers can banish Christ from his People or make him seek another lodging Isa 43. 2. When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee The Israelites went thorow the red Sea and were not drowned and the three Children walked up and Dan. 3. 27. down in the fiery Furnace and were not so much as singed By fire and water we may well understand the various troubles distresses and â—ngers that may attend the People of God now in all these various troubles c. the Lord will be signally present with them to protect and defendâ— to secure and deliver them out of all their various troubles their deepest distresses and most deadly dangers 2 Cor. 4. 9. Persecuted but not forsaken cast down but not destroyed Persecuted by Men but not forsaken by God the Saints may be shaken not shivered persecuted not conquered cast down but not cast off Luther speaking of his â—nemies saith They may thrust me but not throw me shew their teeth but not devour me kill me but not hurt me c. because of that favourable and signal presence of Christ that is with me Now this is that presence of the Lord that falls under our present consideration But for the further opening of this important point let us a little enquire how the Lord does manifest his favorable his signal his eminent presence to his People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers Now to this Question I shall give these twelve Answers First The Lord does manifest his favorable signal and eminent presence with his People in their greatest troubles deepest distresses and most deadly dangers by raising their Faith to more than an ordinary pitch at such a time Exod. 14. 10. And when Pharaoh drew nigh the children of Israel lift up their eyes The faithful cry unto God in their extremities but the unbelievers became mad Pellican and behold the Egyptians marched after them and they were sore afraid and the children of Israel cried out un to the Lord Verse 11. And they said unto Moses because there were no graves in Egypt hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us to carry us forth of Egypt Verse 12. Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt saying Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians for it bad been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness Thus you see their great troubles deep distresses and most deadly dangers they having a Red Sea before them anâ— a cruel bloody and enraged Enemy just at the heels of them Now in this extremity see to what a high pitch Moses his Faith rises Verse 13. And Moses said unto the People fear ye vide Joseph lib. 2. cap. 6. not stand still and see the salvation of the Lord which he will shew to you to day for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day ye shall see them again no more for ever He saith they shall never see the Egyptians again that is in that manner as they saw them that day insulting against them and pâ—rfuing after them as the Septuagint do well interpret it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after what sort ye have seen them for they saw them afterward Exod. 14. 30. but drowned and lying dead upon the shore Verse 14. The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall hold your peace A strong Faith will help a Christian at a dead lift though Moses had received no particular promise how the Israelites should be delivered yet he rested upon Gods general promise before that he would get himfelf honour upon Pharaoh and his Host The Lord shall fight for you and ye shall be still as if he had said ye shall be meerly passive and do nothing at all towards the subduing of your Enemies neither in words nor deeds the Lord shall fight against your Enemies and defeat them himself by a strong hand and an outstretched arm compose your selves act faith and hope in God withour doubting murmuring grudging fainting or fretting for God deferreth his chiefest aid until mans greatest need when the Enemy is highest Salvation is nearest when the danger is greatest the help of God is readiest as at this time they found it 2 Chron. 13. 3. Abijah set the battel in aray with an Army of valiant men of war even four hundred thousand chosen men Jeroboam also set the Battel in aray against him with eight hundred thousand chosen men being mighty men of valour Jeroboam had two to one Verse 7. And there were gathered unto him vain men the children of Belial and have strengthened themselves against
Rehoboam the Son of Solomon when Rehoboam was young and tender-hearted and could not withstand them Rehoboam was no warriour he was no expert Prince in the use of 2 Chron. 12. 13. He was one and forty years old when he came to the Crown Arms he was but young not in age but in experience policy and valour he was hen-hearted he had no courage no mettle Jeroboam takes hold of these advantages and gathers eigth hundred thousand Racha's brainless fellows light and empty yoakless and masterless persons men of no piety civility ingenuity or common honesty Now see what a mighty spirit of Faith God raised in the children of Judah verse 17. And Abijah and his People slew them with a great slaughter so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men A monstrous and matchless slaughter the greatest number that ever we read slain in any battle far beyond that of Tamerlan when he took Bajazet or Aetius the Roman Prefect when he fought with Attilas and his Hunnes in the Fields of Catalaunia where were slain on both sides one hundred sixty five thousand Verse 18. Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time and the children of Judah prevailed because they relied upon the Lord God of their Fathers Faith at a dead lift never miscarrieth God never has nor never will fail those that place their confidence upon him in their greatest dangers Esher 4. 14. For if thou altogether hold thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place but thou and thy Fathers house shall be destroyed and who knoweth whether thou art come to the Kingdom for such a time as this Their great trouble their deep distress and their most deadly danger you have in that 3. Esther 13. And the Letters were sent by the posts into all the Kings provinces to destroy to kill Here are great aggravations of his cruelty in that neither sex not age are spared Rage and mallce knows no boâ—nds and to cause to perish all Jews both young and old little children and women in one day even upon the thirteenth day of the twelfth moneth which is the moneth Adar and to take the spoil of them for a prey Haman that grard Informer with his wicked crew would have spoiled them of their lives and goods but that they were prevented by a miraculous providence as you know now in this deep distress and most deadly danger at what a rate doth Mordecai believe For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time then shall there enlargement Heb. respiration and deliverance arise Heb. Stand up as on its basis or bottom so as none shall be able to withstand it This Mordecai speaketh not by a spirit of prophecy but by the power and force of his faith grounded upon the precious promises of Gods defending his Church hearing the crics of his People arising for their relief and succour and grounded upon all the glorious attributes of God viz. his power love wisdom goodness and allsufficiency c. all which are engaged in the Covenant of grace to save protect and secure his People in their greatest troubles and most deadly dangers Mordecai's faith in this black dark dismal day was a notable faith indeâ—d and worthy of highest commendation Faith can look through the perspective of the promises and see deliverance at a great distance salvation at the door what though sense saith Deliverance will not come and what though reason saith Deliverance cannot come yet a raised faith gets above all fears and disputes and sayes Deliverance will certainly come Redemption is at hand Num. 13. 30. And Caleb stilled the People before Moses and said let us go up at once and passess it for we are well able to overcome it Cap. 14. 9. Only rebel not ye against the Lord neither fear ye the people of the Land for Num. 13. 32 33. they are bread for us their defence is departed from them and the Lord is with us fear them not The Spies by their lyes did what they could to daunt and discourage the People by crying up the strength of the Anakims and â—um 13. 23. to the 28. the impossibility of the conquest these hollow-hearted hypocritical Spies blow hot and cold almost in a breath First they make a narrative of the fruitfulness of the Land and presently they conclude that it was a Land that was not sufficient to nourish the inhabitants yea a Verse 32. Land that did devour the inhabitants Liars have no Iron memories But now behold to what a mighty pitch Caleb's faith is raised Let us go up at once and possess it for we are able to overcome it Or nearer the Hebrew Marching up march up subduing subdue Let us saith believing Caleb march up to the land of Canaan couragiously resolutely undauntedly for the day is our own the Land is our own all is our own They are bread for us we shall make but a break-fast of them we shall easily and as surely root them out and cut them down with our swords as we cut the bread we eat Their defence is departed from them In the Hebrew it Psalm 91. 1. Ps 121. â— 6. is Their shadow is departed from them the shadow you know guards a man from the scorching heat of the Sun Caleb by faith saw God with drawn from them by the eye of his faith he lookt upon them as a people without a fence a shadow a guard a covert a protection and therefore as a people that might easily be subdued and destroyed His faith told him that it was not their strong Cities nor their high walls nor their sons of Anack that could preserve shelter secure or defend them seeing the Lord had forsaken them and would be no longer as a shadow or a shelter to them And the Lord is with us to make us victorious to trâ—ad down our enemies and to give us a quiet possession of the good Land So Dan. 3. 16. Shadrach Meshach and Abednego answered and said to the King O Nebuchadnezzar we are not careful to answer thee in this matter Ver. 17. If it be so our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery Furnace and he will deliver us out of thy hand O King In the fiery Furnace they are protected by Josephus Antiq. p. 259 260. a divine providence they escape death beyond all mens expectations for the fire touched them not neither could it burn during their aboad in the Furnace for God so fortified their bodies that they could not be consumed by fire which accident made them in great estimation with the King for that he saw that they wâ—re vertuous and beloved of God and for that cause they were highly honoured by him Here is a fiery Furnace before them and a proud boasting tyrannical enraged Prince domineering over them for not obeying his Idolatrous will Now to what a