men build Castles in the Air and dream of more mercy than they finde true dream they eat and when they awake are an hungry The godly carry a low sail and commonly dream of less The world is commonly worse than its promises God ordinarily better than his word Sinners meet with less Saints more than they expected God with a breath blows the wicked into destruction and with a breath commands his peoples deliverance Their ruin is sudden how does desolation come upon them in a moment and they are consumed with Gods terrours When Babylon is so pleased with her self that she courts her self like a Lady God can make her a Widow As gliding waters melting snales untimely births so is their prosperity and as a sudden flame or unlookt for Hâ—rricane comes their misery Psal 58.9 And no less expected are Sions reparations It 's compared to a Creation Isa 65.18 which is suddenly effected a generation which is in instanti Nay before she travelled she brought forth Isa 66.7 8. She is delivered before her time and without pain and yet does not miscarry Yea and as her deliverance comes unexpectedly as to time so to means likewise Micah 4.10 Be in pain and labour to bring forth O Daughter of Sion like a woman in travel Thou shalt go even to Babylon there shalt thou be delivered An enemy shall become her Midwife who sought to be her murderer It 's but the shine of Gods face and his people are saved Psal 80. ult But the turn of his hand and his people are delivered Zech. 13. He saies return his word can do it as well as his work Psa 90.3 Judgements come on foot but mercy on horseback on the wing skipping over the hills and leaping over the mountains No sooner do Gods people cry to him in prayer but he eccho's to them in mercy Isa 58.9 Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer Thou shalt cry and he shall say here am I. As Gods people answer to his voice commanding Speak Lord thy Servants hear so he answers to their voice petitioning Call upon me and I will answer thee Jer. 33.3 He cuts short his work in righteousness Rom. 9.28 Secondly Gradually though salvation comes suddenly yet not simul semel all at once is it compleated and perfected It 's compared to light which creeps upon the Air pedetentim by little and little The dawning of the day goes before the high noon God works for his people 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 after divers waies and manners by piece-meals and inches as it were Sion is not built in a day God could destroy his peoples lusts and their enemies together but he slaies them not lest they should forget He could at once perfect the building of grace in the soul and work of reformation in his Church but he chuseth to let it have its stages first laies the foundation then laies on the superstructures and so at last perfects the fabrick that so he may have the greater tribute and revenue of praises and acclamations coming into his Grace God is a God that waits to be gracious to his people but he is also a God of Judgement They shall get ground but yet must be fighting they shall have supply yet must be waiting The prudent Father will not give his child his whole portion into his hand at once nor the discreet friend trust all the stock he intends to his friend together but help them by degrees according to their necessities and occasions thereby to engage their continual dependance upon them Lesser motions are ordinarily quick but great motions slower God gives the wicked Prodigal all in hand whom he hath no further thoughts of good will and purposes of grace and love unto but in respect of his people he does all for eternity and therefore with the skilfull Artists draws not up his work in haste but takes time to make it the more beautiful and admirable God is the Saviour of his people and yet sometimes like the curious Limner hides his work till the whole draught be compleated Isa 45.15 Verily thou art a God that hidest thy self O God of Israel the Saviour He carries on the work in a very hidden and mysterious way by so many aenigma's and riddles of providence as his footsteps cannot easily be traced nor his handy-work searcht out to perfection There are many hitherto's in his mercies and salvations many Ebenezers 1 Sam. 7.12 He called the name of it Ebenezer saying Hitherto hath the Lord helped us Thirdly He helps opportunely and seasonably in the very present emergency and strait in the hour the nick of trouble Opportunity is the Salt that seasons any mercy Now God times all his helps and succours to his people As he dealt with Christ so with them In an acceptable time he hears them and in the day of salvation he helps them He is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a God at a pinch In the Mount will he be seen when his own arm shall be the more conspicuous or when his people are in eminent and imminent dangers When the murdering-knife is putting to Isaac's throat he plucks back Abraham's hand When the Canon is discharging against the Jews then he muzzles the mouth of it Deut. 32.36 For the Lord shall judge his people and repent himself for his Servants when he seeth that their power is gone and there is none shut up or left When the siege can hold no longer and there 's none left in the fenced Cities more than in the open Plains then forthwith comes relief This is the day of Jacob's trouble alas for that day is great and there is none like it but he shall be saved out of it Jer. 30.7 Daies of great trouble are daies of glorious salvation When Israel was in a very great distress like to be swallowed up by the Ammonites and upon their applications to God he turns them off with a protestation that he would deliver them no more yet pleading the instancy of their oppression and begging relief in the present exigency Deliver us only we pray thee this day His soul was grieved for their misery and his pity became sollicitor to his power in order to their succour and redress Judg. 10.16 When the soul like Jonah in the Whales belly is even swallowed up of sorrow and out of the depths the belly of Hell cries to the Lord He will hear him God â—ath said He will bring his people back from the â—epths both of Earth and Sea Psal 68.22 Psal â—1 20 Prayer put up to Heaven by a soul ready â—o sink in the mire as being able to finde no standing is alwaies in an acceptable time That â—s mollâ—ssimum fandi tempus Psal 69.13 Gods help is limited to no time but there are usually two special seasons when the fruit of mercy is full ripe and God plucks it off the tree of providence and throws it into the laps of his people either when their enemies condition is high and
a descant on all creature-enjoyments even a differing note â—â—om the worlds votaries Whom have I in Heaâ—en but thee and there is none on Earth that I â—â—sire in comparison of thee And the Church seâ—â—nds him in this pleasant ditty Lam. 3.24 â—he Lord is my portion saith my soul therefore will 〈◊〉 hope in him Nunquam bene sine te nunquam male â—â—m te saith Bernard sweetly The gracious soul â—â—ndes it self never ill in his presence never well 〈◊〉 his absence The Sun of Righteousness makes â—ay in the souls of the Saints though all the â—tars of creature-consolation withdraw their light â—nd influence when notwithstanding the brightst and most glorious shine of these earthly gloâ—â—orms under its fatal eclipse a perpetual night â—f darkness invelops the soul and covers its whole â—eavens Worldly evils may render a carnal â—â—an miserable but worldly goods can never â—nake an holy man happy And as a Saints choicest â—appiness lies in God in a good day much more â—ave they sens'd their felicity to be concerned in â—im in an evil day when all other happinesses â—ail and felicities vanish and fade as a gourd of â—he night or the morning dew before the â—corchings of the rising Sun When God comes â—o blow upon our comforts and by the ireful â—ooks of his severer providence to frown on â—ur spirits neither the friends nor things of â—he world can add one cubit to the stature or â—ontribute one mite to the measure of our blessedâ—ess but in the saddest hour that befalls a Christian of loss cross trial and temptation when â—he barrel of meal is exhausted and the cruse of â—yl spent all secondary causes are at an end all creature-comforts at a pose and loss all worldly relations and fruitions prove dry brooks and barren wildernesses disappointing the expecting Traveller or like so many Lotteries to which a men goes with an head full of hopes but returns away with an heart full of blanks utterly void of his expectation then and then alone true and sure consolation is to be fetched from the experience of God and acquaintance with him who is the over and ever-flowing fountain of living waters And therefore the Prophet here in this Psalm setting before us the vanity and emptiness of all created helps and sufficiencies in competition with and comparison of the divine fulness and alsufficiency condemns all confidence in the creature to the very Hell and advances with the highest Encomiums and most heavenly Elogies adherence to God and dependance upon him alone He dehorts on the one hand from confidence in man or any arm of flesh by Arguments drawn from their infirmity and vanity the mutability of their tempers and also the fragility yea mortality of their state All created things have in them an utter incompetency to administer help to a soul under any strait or affliction being finite and fading For that must be eternal and immutable that must afford succour and relief under all vicissitudes of providence all mutations and interchanges of life To pass creatures moving in a lower orb and take Princes elevated to the highest sphear of dignity and excellency here below the best and highest of men yea so many representative Gods the Viceroys and Vicegerents of that infinite and eternal Majesty of Heaven and Earth exalted to the â—itch of deputed by God and reputed Deities by â—en yet even they are under the same prediâ—ament of changeable affections and dispositions â—nd eke of a mortal condition with other men Though gods while living thâ—y die as men and 〈◊〉 as Diogenes once told Alexander the great of â—hilip his Father their ashes are not distinguishâ—ble from the ashes of the common sort so that â—arivs's memento te esse hominem wherewith he â—ommanded his Chamberlain thrice a day to â—ound him wil fit them as wel as the common sort Men though never so able and potent oftenâ—â—mes have neither power nor yet will to help â—heir expectants their minds are uncertain and â—heir opinions unstable as water so as with Reuâ—en they cannot excell Inconstant they are to â—heir principles professions resolutions and start â—side upon the least diversion from their promises â—urposes and intendments like a deceitful Bow And should they hold even and fixed either their â—â—fe or state may admit a change the wheel now â—â—p as Bajazet told him may soon go down They may fall so far from the pinacle of power â—nd turret of honour as they may not be able to â—ave themselves much less their adherents and deâ—endants such is their inconstancy and uncerâ—ainty How soon can God clip the wings of their â—omp and bravery and stain the beauty and pride â—f their glory so as their excellency which â—eacht up to the Heavens and toucht the clouds â—nay become as their own dung Job 20.6 Their â—reath may soon be upon the wing and take its â—ight to eternity and when they die all their thoughts endeavours counsels all their dignity and fame power and majesty dies with them and there 's an end of all their perfection And therefore he concludes this with the Prophets counsel to cease from man whose breath is in his nostrils And all this he expresseth to the life vers 3 4. Put not your trust in Princes nor in the Son of man in whom there is no help Hiâ— breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day hiâ— thoughts perish But on the other side he highly commends confidence in God shewing their blessedness that depend on him they shall be sure never to meeâ— with a disappointment Though men die God ever lives though they change he changeth not with him is no varial leness nor shadow of turning The eternity of Israel cannot lye or repent He is the great Almighty Jehovah in whom is everlasting strength the immutable Rock of Ages and sure dwelling-place of his people throughout all generations A God who abides ever the same to day yesterday and for evermore the true and ever-living God righteous in his judgements faithful in his promises beneficent in his providence and providential dispensations which is daily exhibited towards all sorts of persons calamitous and oppressed sustaining defending governing and helping them in a most eminent and divine manner and that not in this particular oâ— that other age of the world but for ever throughout all ages in former present and succeeding generations And therefore it s both far safer and sweeter to trust to the Creatour than to repose in any creature all which the Prophet evidenceth in the sequel of the Psalm from vers 6 â—o the end And so to come to a close of his â—nain Proposition he positively affirmeth to all â—he world That though there be nothing but misery and unhappiness to be found in the creature â—ll fulness and blessedness dwells in the ever-living â—nd ever-loving God In consideration whereof â—he Psalmist breaks out by way of Antithesis inâ—o this most pathetical acclamation and perempâ—orily
Though their bones be scattered as at the graves mouth yet will he overthrow their Judges in stony places Psal 141.6 If they drink of the Cup which comparatively are not worthy they shall not escape unpunisht but shall certainly drink the dreggs thereof Jer. 49.12 When he hath performed his whole work on Mount Sion he will then punish the fruit of the stout heart of the King of Assyria Isa 10.12 Judgement begins indeed at his house and Sanctuary but Jerusalem does but hand the Cup to the Nations and when God hath used the wicked as Rods to lash his people having done with them he throws them into the fire Babylon is dealt with as she dealt with Israel Jer. 51.6 49. And so Amalek Deut. 25. ult God will be an enemy to the enemies of his people and set himself against them who are so mad in running upon their own ruine as to set themselves against his chosen None ever fought against Gods interest and prospered but was in the event worsted and forced to confess he kickt against the pricks The house of David in fine overcomes that of Saul and though their horns be lifted up never so high he who is the horn of his peoples salvation will cut off the horn of the wicked or by his Carpenters fray them away Zech. 1.21 And when once they come under the hammer of his Justice they must expect judgement without mercy who would shew no mercy The Psalmist does most elegantly express both the sudden alteration of providence to Gods people and to their enemies Psal 138.7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble thou wilt revive me as the Son of man did the children in the furnace thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies and thy right hand shall save me An allusion to Moses stretching his hand over the Sea whereby the waters came upon the Egyptians and drowned their Chariots and horse-men God hath an out-stretched Arm able to reach those who are â—ut of the reach of his people and they that â—ome not within the compass of humane-Justice â—et cannot escape divine Vengeance And so â—uch for the third particular Fourthly Here is an help against the stroke of â—ommon judgements and publick calamities so â— to fence then â— from their heads or at least â—â—e evil of them â—hus God helpt Noah to an â—rk to house him in time of the universal deâ—ge Lot to a Zoar to secure him in time of publick conflagration In time of war he keeps â—s servant David from the hurtful sword diâ—ne protection was as a coat of Male to him â— Armour of proof to him to keep him shotâ—ee and untoucht Psal 144.10 In the time of â—â—some Pestilence when his infections Arrows â—e shot forth like lightning they abide under â—s shadow and are covered with his feathers â—s truth is their shield and buckler himself their â—ck and habitation so that though thousands â—ll on the right hand and on the lest yet he â—ands upright no evil befalls him nor no Plague â—nters his dwellings Psal 91. Which promise â—ough it gives not absolute assurance of the event â—nd issue as to temporal preservation yet it offers â—ur incouragement and propounds sure and sole â—rection how to escape the lash of the destroyer one standing on so sure a soot and a fair ground â—f protection in such a day of general calamity â—s Gods people In time of famine he redeems â—hem from death when he is riding on that â—ale horse he enters not their tents as in â—var from the power of the sword Job 5.20 â—n horrible burnings when others both persons and places Cities and Countries are made firebrands of his wrath they are pluckt as brands out of the fire Amos 4.11 In times of great concussion when the world seems quite off his Axletree and removed from its basis and foundation the earth moved from its centre and the hills carried into the midst of the Sea the waters roar and are troubled and the mountains shake with the swelling thereof mens hearts sail them for fear and the powers of Heaven are shaken and great desolations are made in the earth they remain intacti illaesi unshaken and immoved Psal 46. Luk. 21. Etiamsi fractus illabatur orbis impavidum ferient ruinae Now God under the deluge of judgements is an help to his people three manner of waies First By removing them out of the reach of them securing them from their dint and stroke Sometimes he removes their souls to Heaven and lodgeth their bodies in the chambers of the grave He takes his out of a sinful and miserable world before the Judgement commenceth Isa 57.1 Thus he took Josiah up into the chambers of heavenly glory before the storm came on Israels head He baild off the arrest his life time but no sooner is he dead and gone but issues out her writ of remove out of his sight Thus God took away Austin a little before Hippo was sackt and Pareus a little before Heidelburgh was destroyed and Luther according to his own prayer that he might not live to see the Plagues of God coming on an ungodly world before the German troubles brake forth God removes his people by an habeas corpus out of this lower world and then comes down its execution And the greatest storm of outward Judgements hath no further effect on the godly than to drive them to their Fathers house or most boisterous wind of calamity than to blow them home to their desired Haven When God had informed Daniel of such a time of trouble coming on the world as never was since there was a Nation even under the persecution by Antiochus he dismisseth him with his quietus est Cap. 12 13. Go thou thy way till the end be for thou shalt rest and stand in the lot in the end of the daies When Gods peoples race be run their work done and finisht he gives them a dispensation for tarrying any longer in the world or managing their office and duty here below plucks them off the stage and sends them to Heaven to rest from their labours and receive their reward prepared for them and promised to them Sometimes God removes them out of the verge of trouble on earth Isa 26.20 Come my people enter into thy Chambers and shut thy doors round about thee and hide thy self as it were for a little moment till the indignation be overpast God hath chambers of distinguishing providence and of gracious presence whither he lovingly invites his people as one friend does another distant from his own home and overtaken with a storm to come in and shelter himself till it be blown over God hath hiding-places places of retirement and repose for his people under publick out-goings of his Majesty and his wrath and justice against the inhabitants of the earth When the world lies open and naked to the storm of divine vengeance as a man in rain without a covering or in a battel
that so he may have wherewithall to set all his Attributes on work at once his power wisdom goodness and mercy When Israel had committed a great sin yet Ezra comforts them with this There is yet hope in Israel Art thou troubled with the guilt of sin defilement and power of corruption art thou disturbed with fears doubts temptations dost thou want the evidence of Gods favour and blessed assurances of his love art thou pressed down with the weight of thy afflictions do thy feet stick in the mire and thy soul is born down and sinks through the load that is upon thy shoulders yet look up by faith to Heaven God can open a door of hope in this valley of Achor Lo he is behind the curtain though thou seest him not and will step in and help thee if he sees the swoon or faint He is praesto ready at hand to save thee though he seems to sleep he and his arm can awake Isa 51.9 as a mighty man out of sleep for his enemies confusion and eke his Peoples consolation He will arise Psal 44. ult He can turn thy captivity as the streams of the South and a word of his mouth shall do it as well as an act of his hand Be not discouraged or despondent but wait his approach Though thy heart fail be of good courage and he will strengthen thine heart Thou hast an omnipotent arm to lean upon therefore give not in nor give over Still be found in the way of thy duty pray still believe wait still and for ever hope in the Lord and his mercy God oft suggests his Creatorship in Scripture to encourage his People in great extremities As to Jacob Isa 40.27 28. So Psal 124. ult Our help is in the Name of the Lord who made Heaven and Earth And thus in this present Psalm in the words following the Text Which made Heaven and Earth to teach us that God can do any thing who made all things What is it God cannot do as well as he did create the world out of nothing What should we doubt in his way of providence whose power we have such demonstrative proof of in the work of creation And the Apostle Peter seems to make that relation speak mercy too as well as power and goodness as greatness 1 Pet. 4.19 Where he exhorts Saints in a suffering condition to commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing as into the hand of a faithful Creator This title alone speaks comfort and assurance to Gods People and abundant incouragement to wait and hope in him not crying out in their passions I shall one day fall by the hand of this evil but staying themselves on him in the worst of humane miseries and calamities Let me leave it with this Memento That thy condition is not such neither can ever any such state befall thee that either God hath not holpen in or cannot help in No temptations betide thee but what are common to the Saints and should there God can do that he never did as well as thou need that none ever had and being thy God and Creator thou mayest be sure his help shall alway be sufficient to thy needs for he will not forsake the work of his hands He can work and none shall let him He that said Let there be light and there was so in the world can say Let there be grace peace comfort and there shall be so in the heart Let there be truth and peace and there shall be so in the Church If God be your help then make him your hope in all conditions and cases publick or private Hath God broken your estates your families or man ruined them God can repair them Hath he broken his Church and People broken down her hedge so that the Boar of the Wood doth waste her and all the wild beasts of the Forrest devour her he can yet look down upon her and raise her up when lowest and throw down her enemies when highest Let the house of Aaron and Levi yea and all that fear the Lord trust in the Lord and ye that have no helper make him your hope and help Say This God is our God and shall be our guide to death I shall dismiss this branch of Application with an answer to these two Questions First What are the conditions upon which we may challenge help from God in an evil day Secondly What are the times and seasons when we may most confidently expect it All evils are reduceable to two general heads They are either Gods immediate visitations or humane afflictions and pâ—rsecutions The former of these I shall answer with special reference to the first the latter to the second First On what terms may Gods People expect help when he is going out in the way of his Judgements as Sword Pestilence c I shall but name these five conditions the discourse being swoln far beyond what it was intended First A religious severity which consists in an accurate walking before God in a day of prosperity and mercy a setting strait steps to his Kingdom a cleaving to him a dwelling in him as our habitation a maintaining strict and close communion with him Isa 32.17 The effect of righteousness shall be peace quietness and assurance for ever Communion with God in a good day layes a sure foundation for confidence in him in an evil He that remembers God in his high estate God will remember him in his low that makes God his song in Sun-shine daies shall finde him his strength in tempestuous times who give God a room in their hearts and houses in times of felicity shall have room in his Ark in the day of adversity Gen. 6.8 9. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord he was a just man and perfect in his generations and walked with God Whereas they who forsake God in the time of mercy he will forsake them in the time of extremity those who now turn the back on him he will then turn the face from Jer. 18.17 As they gave a deaf ear to the voice of his mercy shutting the door of their hearts to him he will give a deaf ear to the voice of their cry and shut the door of his grace on them Prov. 1.24 This also consists in an immunity from the sins of the times not only a sympathy of their sufferings but a freedom from their sins and defilements When a Christian saves himself from a perverse generation is unspotted with the times keeps his garments fair though he lives in a contagious Air yet preserves himself free from its infection and like the fish keeps the freshness of his grace though swimming in the salt-waters of sin and wickedness When out of an holy and reverential fear he dares not comply with but withstands opposes protests witnesses against and mourns for the abominations of the times This was Noabs carriage being warned of God and moved with an holy fear of his threatned Judgements he makes
an Ark Heb. 11.7 which the prophane and secure world flouted and derided This was Lots security in the overthrow of Sodom his soul was vexed with their filthy conversation 2 Pet. 2.7 8. And the Apostle makes him a president his deliverance a ruling case so as to argue and draw up a firm conclusion from it for all the godly under like circumstances verse 9. This tenderness of conscience was that which removed Josiah out of the dint of suffering 2 King 22.19 Jealousie of sinning is the best security against suffering Such as fear Gods Name shall have the bright side of the cloud when others have the dark he will be to them a Sun when to the rest a fire This holy carriage protected Jeremiah and kept him out of captivity and exempted Baruch and gave him his life for a prey Gods mourners who gave him their testimony by wearing his livery shall also have his mark of distinguishing favour Ezek. 9. They are pluckt as brands out of the fire We may invert that of the Prophet Ezekiel and make the subject the predicate cap. 7.16 They who are as Doves of the Valleys mourning for their iniquity shall escape They who feared the Lord and thought on his Name minded Religion and made it their business had a book of remembrance written Mal. 3.16 Phinehas's zeal procures him the covenant of Gods peace Numb 25.8 Secondly A fiducial recumbency God saves them that trust in him and because they trust in him Psal 37. ult He that believes shall never be confounded God is a buckler to them that trust in him Prov. 2.8 The scope of the whole 91 Psalm is to assure preservation to them that exercise faith in God and keep in viis in waies of strict and close walking with him Not an absolute faith that God certainly will protect and deliver for that cannot be without a special revelation but a stedfast faith and firm dependance on God and his power and providence both as able and willing to do it Jobs confidence in God gave him assurance of his being his salvation This obtained a special priviledge for Obedmelech Jer. 39. ult Thy life shall be for a prey to thee because thou hast put thy trust in me saith the Lord. And this gave Daniel a marvelous yea miraculous protection Dan. 6.22 23. Innocency was found in him and he believed in his God Thirdly A praying importunity When Gods Spirit is poured out from on high and his stir up themselves to take hold on God plead and wrastle call and cry being his remembrancers day and night Psal 32.6 And so Zeph. 2.3 Seek the Lord all ye meek of the earth which have wrought his Judgement seek righteousness seek meekness it may be ye shall be hid in the day of the Lords anger in the most desolating Judgements God reserves a remnant and they are the seeking praying ones Joel 2. ult Whosoever shall call on the Name of the Lord shall be delivered So Psal 91.14 15. Fourthly A perfect and exact integrity He saves the upright in heart Psal 7.10 He compasseth them about with favour as a shield The way of the just is uprightness thou most upright doest weigh the path of the Just Isa 26.7 Integrity is the ground of hope This gave Job a certainty of his coming out of affliction and of a glorious restauration Job 13.18 I have ordered my cause I know I shall be justified This was that Hezekiah pleaded under Gods correction Isa 38.3 And Nehemiah under his enemies rage and opposition Think upon me my God for good Christs Righteousness is only pleadable at the bar of Gods Justice but our own in the Court of his mercy A man may as well rear a building on a quagmire or quick-sand as build a just hope on Hypocrisie but righteousness is a sure soundation The morning star being once up and visible it 's never very dark Such as walk alwaies in the view of their uprightness have alwaies some glimmerings of comfort and are never hopeless and desolate This was Gods own assignation of the reason of Noahs deliverance Gen. 7.1 Thee only have I found righteous in this generation He that walks uprightly walks securely When men are upright to God to men exercise a conscience void of offence in duties of the first and the second Table keep themselves from their iniquities and have respect to all Gods Commandments and whatsoever comes on them do not forget God and his Covenant they are upon the fairest ground of security The Prophet Amos puts them into not a bare capacity but at least a probability of mercy Amos 5.15 Hate the evil seek good and establish Judgement in the gate it may be the Lord God of Hosts will be gracious to the remnant of Joseph Nay the Prophet Isaiah goes further and puts them under a certainty Isa 33.16 When Hypocrites were bundled as thorns or packt as brands into the devouring fire of Gods wrath who should abide now He that walketh righteously He shall dwell on high his place of defence shall be the munition of Rocks bread shall be given him his waters shall be sure Fifthly A resolved singularity and couragious zeal and magnanimity for God in the worst of times both as to doing and suffering When Christians shine with an eminent lustre of piety like stars in a dark night with greater brightness and burn with an holy zeal as fire in frosty weather alwaies hottest are none such of the times and do not only keep themselves untainted from the sins they embrace but se on the duties they oppose resolving with Joshua that they and their house will serve the Lord and with Daniel that they will as formerly notwithstanding all prohibitions to the contrary make their supplication to the God of Heaven They will keep up private family duties publick attendances though all give them up maintain those duties of Religion most zealously strenuously and industriously that are most momentous though most opposed and despised dancing before the Lords Ark though laughed to scorn by the Michaels of the world Though Princes speak against them they will meditate and speak of Gods statutes They will appear for God when all appear against him as did Elijah whom God wonderfully secured and Paul whom he stood by miraculously and Luther whose language was fiat justitia ruat Coelum whom God signally protected at Worms and elsewhere though he were the only butt his pretended holiness then had to shoot at When a man is resolved to consult duty and not safety to suffer before he sins to burn in a fiery furnace before bow to a graven Image and with an holy fortitude to stand up for God against the sins of the time and place though he hath none to back him though all the neighbourhood Town City be otherwise affected as it was with him as to Baals Altars and Paul to the Athenian worships and is determined to venture all for God and in his Cause with a Caesarem