THis Psalme was Dauids meditation, when he was forced to flie before his vnnaturall Sonne Absa­lom, who tooke vp armes to depriue him of the kingdome, and mightily for a time preuailed against him.

Heerein first hee falleth into an admi­ration, of the great number of his enemies conspiringe his destruction, but falsely perswadinge themselues that [Page] God had forsaken him: Vers. 1.2. Second­ly, he expresseth what confidence he put in God, and what assurance he had by him a­gainst all the assaults and attempts of his aduersaries. vers. 3.4.5.6. Thirdly, he ma­keth petition for helpe, grounding his hope vpon Gods former protection: Vers. 7, Fourthly, he concludeth the Psalme with this Epiphonema: Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord, and thy blessing is vppon thy people, Verse 8: In which words hee ascribeth vnto the Lord the power of sa­uing them which be in peril, and that good­nesse whereby he prouideth for the safetie of his people, and heapeth vppon them innumerable benefits and blessings:

Now imagin with me, that Dauid sitting aloft in his Chaire of estate looketh downe to his subiects saying, Saluation belongeth vnto the Lord: And then casting vppe his eyes to Heauen, by an Apostrophe to God saith thus. And thy blessing is vppon thy people. When Jonas had cried out of the belly of Hell, and the Lord had heard his voice,Ionae, 2.2.6.9. and brought his life from the pit, then he pronounced definitiuely that Saluation [Page] is of the Lord. And whē Salomon had consi­dered aduisedly of martial affaires from the beginning to the ending thereof,Prou. 21.31. he reso­lutely concluded, that the horse is prepa­red against the day of battaile, but Saluatiō is of the Lord.

By Saluation heere, is vnderstood tem­porall preseruation from worldly troubles and perils: of the which I expound that in the 36 Psalme.Psa, 36 6. Thou Lord doost saue man and beast. And thereof Saint Paul mea­neth, when he saith to Timothie, that the li­uing God,1 Tim, 4.10. is the Sauiour of all men, speci­ally of those that beleeue.

Seeing then that Saluation is of the Lord, vaine is the hope of them, that without, or against God, put their trust in any worldly meanes. When Pharaoh pursued the Jsra­elites, he reposed his vndoubted hope of victorie in his Chariots, Horses, and great Hoste of valiant armed men: but when the Lord came forth as a man of warre against him, then he and all his were cast into the Sea, the deepthes couered them,Exod. 14. & 15.3.4.5. and they sanke to the bottom as a stone. Who will set vp his rest vpō huge bignes & strength [Page] of bodie, after that the Anakims were de­stroyed vnder the conduct of Joshua, Iosh. 11.21.22. 1. Sam. 17.50.51 &. 2. Sam, [...]1.15.40. To the end. and Goliah with the other sonnes of Haraphah fell by the hands Dauid, and his wor­thies? Leagues with forraine Princes are but a broken staffe of reede without the Lord, for that wee read of the Edomites in Obadiah, Obad. verse 7. that the men of their confederacie drave them to the borders. As for ri­ches and treasures,Prouerbs. 11.4 Salomon hath giuen this verdit of them,Prouerb, 23.5. that they auaile not in the day of wrath: but euen when men should stand in greatest neede of them, then they take them to their winges as an Eagle and flie vnto the Heauens. Food and victuals are necessarie for the sustentation of mans life:Ezech 4.16. Amos. 4 6. but God in his anger can easily break the staffe of bread, and giue cleannesse of teeth in all our Citties. If fortifications would haue serued the turn, then might the Cananites haue beene safe in their Cities,Deut 9.1. which were great & walled vp to Heauen. What can Counsell, pollicie & wordly wis­dom, effecte of themselues,Iob. 12 20. seeing that Job hath obserued that God taketh (at his plea­sure) speech from the Counsellers, and [Page] iudgement from the auncient. And this is one of Salomons Maximaes, Prou. 21.30. that there is no wisedome, neither vnderstanding, nor Counsell against the Lord. In the time of sickenesse, without the Lord nothing auai­leth the Phisitian, as in the cause of Asa; 2. Chron. 16. [...] 2. king. 1.1.2. nor yet the God of Ekron, as in the case of Azariah. And that we may know that noe mortall man, nor all the sonnes of men put together can saue vs without the Lorde, therefore wee are aduised by the Prophet Jsay to cease frō the man whose breath is in his Nostrelles:Isay. 2.22. for wherein is hee to bee esteemed?Ionae. 2.8. Jonas hath vttered all this in fewe wordes, saying: They that waite vppon lyinge vanities (that is, which depende vppon any thinge saue God alone) forsake their owne mer­cie) 1. they refuse their owne felicitie, and that goodnesse which they should other­wise receaue of GOD. Wherefore let euerie one of vs,Psal. 73.2 [...]. take first into his heart, and then into his mouth the words of the Psalmist sayinge to Almightie GOD. Whome haue I in heauen but thee? And I haue desired none in earth with thee.

[Page]Thus hitherto it appeareth that Saluati­on belongeth to the Lord onely. And by that which next ensueth it shall be manifest that Gods helpe alone is sufficient for vs. For when the Lord in Jsayes times percea­ued all things to be out of order, both in the Church and the Common-wealth, namely that iudgement was turned backe­ward,Isay. 59.14 15. [...]6. & iustice stood farre of, that truth was fallen in the street, and equitie could not enter, and that hee which refrained from euill, made himselfe a praye, and therewithall that noe man offered him­selfe to rectifie those abuses, then Gods own arme did saue it, and his righteousnes it selfe did sustaine it.Isay. 63, 1.3 4 5 And when as the day of vengeāce against the Edomites came in­to the heart of the Lord, and the day of his redeemed was come, then he trod the wine presse alone, his owne arme helped him, and his wrath it selfe sustained him. And when as Isay said,Isay. 26.1. Saluation shall God set vp for walles and bulwarkes: his meaning was to signifie that Gods protection and defence should be sufficient for vs:Psal. 3.6, 3. whereupon it is that Dauid in this present Psalme will not be afraide of ten thousand of the people, [Page] that should beset him round about, because God is his buckler and the lifter vp of his head. And as it is testified in the 23. Psalme,Psal. 23 4.1. though he should walke through the valley of the shadow of death, yet would he feare no euill, because the Lord is his shepheard, whose rod and staffe doe comfort him. Al­so, by Salomons determination,Prouerb. 18. [...]0 the name of the Lord is a strong Tower, the righteous runneth vnto it, and is exalted. Jerusalem (as it is in Zacharie)Zech. 2.4.5. may be inhabited with­out walles, if the Lord bee vnto her a wall of fire round about her, and the glorie in the middes of her. And if the Lord be with Judah, in the siege against Jerusalem, then shall Jerusalem bee a cup of poyson to all the people round about,Zech. 12.2, 3. yea it shall be an heauie stone for all people. All that lift it vp shalbe torne, though all the people of the earth be gathered together against it. And when as Saneherib inuaded the land of Jury, with a most populous and puissant ar­mie to make an absolute conquest of it, the substance,2 Chron, 32.7 8. of Hezekiah his militarie oration was this. Be strong and couragious: feare not, neither be afraid, for the king of Ashur, neither for al the multitude that is with him, [Page] for there be more with vs, then is with him. With him is an arme of flesh (that is the po­wer of man,) but with vs is the Lorde our God for to help vs, & to fight our battailes.

Howbeit, though Saluation be of the Lord, yet the ordinarie meanes of preser­uation appointed by God are not to bee neglected:2. Sam. 1.18. Wherefore Dauid was no soo­ner entred into his kingdome, but hee gaue commandement that the children of Judah should be taught to shoot, least they should haue beene ouermatched by their enemies the Philistines in that art of warfare.

2. Sam. 15.31.And when Absalom rebelled against him, he did not onely pray earnestly, that God would turne the Counsel of Ahitophel in­to foolishnes: but also hee sent his friend Hushai the Archite, into the armie of Absa­lom, to be his discouerer from thence of all principal and dangerous plots & designes,vers, 34.35, 36.37. and that he might skilfully bring the Coun­sell of Ahitophel to naught, the which hee deemed more perillous vnto him then all Absaloms forces.2. king. 9.16 28 & 10.11.14 King Salomon also that he might not want the sinewes of warre, nor the ornaments of peace vsed traffike with his Nauie, by the way of the red Sea, to [Page] fetch gold frō Ophir in abundance,verse. 27. wherby he was enabled to giue siluer in Ierusalem as stones.1. king. 10.16 17 And his armory glistered with 200. targets, & 300. shieldes of beaten gold. Al­so he prepared 1400. Chariots. 12000.1. king. 10.26. & 2 chron. 9.25 horsemen, and 40000. horses for seruice, which were bestowed in the Chariot cities, and with himselfe at Jerusalem. And I can­not but wonder at the exceeding great war­like preparation,2. Chron. 17.13, to the end. which Iehosaphat made a­gainst all dangers the 2. of the Chronicles and the 17. chapter. Such discouerie of the Counsels and plots of forraine enemies,2. king 6, 8. to the 14. as Elisha made by diuine inspiration vnto Jehoram, must now be supplied by intelli­gencers abroad. How could Dauid haue a­uoyded the furie of Saul, if he had not re­ceaued from Jonathan, and Michol, i. Sam. 19.1, 2. & 20. infor­mation of his cruell purposes, and escaped by flight? And indeede this was the ouer­sight of Gedalah the gouernour, and it cost him his life in the end,Ier. 40 4.14 15, 16. & 41.12, for that he would not beleeue the report of Johanan who tolde him that Jshmael meant to murther him by the instigatiō of Baalis the king of the Am­monites. Let vs enter into consideratiō how [Page] expedient it is & necessarie to haue, & to cherish in a kingdom and common-wealth not onely valourous men, but also wise mē, Iust men, such as be feruent in prayer and intercession for the publike good, & those that bee forward to execute lawes against malefactours. As for valorous men, howe should the Jsraelites haue beene deliuered out of the hands of the Midianites, had it not beene for the sword of the Lord, and of Gideon? They had still laine vnder the yoke of Cushan Rishathaim, Iud. 7, 20 King of Mesopotamia, vnlesse Othniel had beene raised vpp a saui­our vnto them▪ Iud. 3.8.9. Ehud saued them out of the handes of the Moabites: vers. 15. And Shamgar and Samson from the Philistines: vers. 31. Barak likewise deliuered them from Iabin, Iud. 14 & 15. &. 16 the King of Canaan: Iud. cap. 4. and Jphtah from the Am­monites. And the Lord wrought a great Saluation for all Jsrael, Iud. cap. 12. when Dauid slewe Goliah the Philistine. 1. Sam. 19.5. Concerning wise men, how necessarie they be in euerie state, Salo­mon implyeth when hee saith in Ecclesiastes, I haue seene this wisedom vnder the sunne,Eccles. 9.13.14 15.16.18. and it is great vnto me: A little Cittie, and few men in it, and a great King came against [Page] it, and compassed it about, & builded fortes against it: and there was founde therein a poore and wise man, and hee deliuered the Citie by his wisedome. So was the City of Abel preserued frō the rage of Joab by the wisedome of one woman,2. Sam. 20.13. to the 23. who perswaded the Citizens to deliuer the head of the re­bellious traytour Sheba the sonne of Bichri. And touching Iust men, I haue learned of Eliphaz the Temanite in the booke of Job, Iob 22.30. that the innocent shall deliuer the Iland, and it shall be preserued by the purenesse of his hands: so that if but ten iust men had beene founde in Sodom, Gen. 18.32. the Cittie should haue beene spared for their sakes.Gen. 19, 22, 20 21. Neither would the Angell destroy Sodom till Lot was departed thence into a place of safety, the which at his request was kept from de­struction:Act. 27.22.23. And in a most stormy tempest vpon the midland sea, God gaue vnto Paul the liues of all that sayled with him. When King Joash saide with teares in his eyes to Elisha lying vpon his death bed,2 King. 13.14. O my Fa­ther, my father, the Chariot of Israel, & the horsemen of the same, he signified that the Kingdome had beene more prospered by [Page] his prayers, then by force of armes. And God in his iust wrath had vtterly consumed the Israelites in the case of the golden Calfe,Psal. 106.23. had not Moses his chosen stood in the breach before him, to turne away his anger.

Num. 16.41. to the end.And they had at another time altoge­ther perished for murmuring vpon the ex­ecution of rebellious Corah, Dathan, and Abiram, and not Aaron made an atonement for them. Miserable then and wretched was the state of the Iewes,Ier. 7.16. when as Jeremie was commanded not to pray for them: and whē as God himself protested, that though Mo­ses and Samuel stoode before him,Ier, 15:1. yet his affection could not bee toward that peo­ple.

And as for round executing of Iustice vpon offenders,Eccles. 8.11. the great necessitie therof appeareth hereby, because it is directly ga­thered out of the wordes of the Preacher, that the onely delay of Iustice is the anima­ting of transgressours. Wherefore King Dauid made a solemne promise that hee would betimes destroy all the wicked of the Land,Psal. [...]01.8. that hee might cut of all the wor­kers [Page] of iniquitie, from the citie of the lord. And for the same reasō saith Salomon in the Canticles: Take vs the Foxes, the little Foxes, which destroy the vines.Cant. 2.15. Which course if we had takē many yeares ago with the Iesuites, secular Priests, and other semi­narie men, we had not been so pestered with them, and endangered by them, as nowe we are, and of late haue beene.Deut. 13.11. & 17.13. Wherefore it is high time to put hand to this work, that all Jsrael may heare & feare & do no more presumptuously. Thus then it is euident that there is great vse and neede of the ordi­narie meanes of preseruation, the want whereof maketh a verie wofull estate. As whē the Lord of hostes meant in the time of Isay to expose the Iewes to all inconueni­ences, both oppressions and miseries at home, and also inuasions abroad, then he threatned, that he would take frō Jerusalē, Isay. 3.1.2.3. & frō Judah the stay & the strēgth, euen all the stay of bread & all the stay of water, the strōg man, & the man of war, the Iudg & the Prophet, the prudent, & the aged, the cap­taine of fiftie, and the honourable, and the Counseller, and the cunning artificer, and thy eloquent man.

[Page]Now that Saluation is of the Lorde wee haue had good experience of late by the rare manner of the discouering of that damnable and diuelish deuise which should haue beene acted, vpon the fift of Nouember last. For the same God which inspired Elisha that hee could tell the King of Jsrael, 2. King. 6.12 euen the verie wordes which the king of Aram spake in his priuie chamber: And who in the dayes of Amos, Amos. 3.7. would doe nothing, but he reuealed his secrets vnto his seruants the Prophets: And who appea­ring to Joseph in a dreame sayd.Math. 2.13. Arise and take the babe and his mother, and flee into Aegypt, and be there till I bring thee word, for Herode will seeke the babe to destroy him.Ps. 91.3.5.6. And who promiseth in the 91. Psalme to deliuer the faithfull, not onely from the noysome pestilence, but also from the snare of the hunter, not onely from the arrowe that flyeth by day, but also from the terrour of the night, not onely from the plague that destroyeth at noonetide, but also from the pestilence that walketh in the darke­nesse: euen he the same God, put into the head of our gracious Soueraigne, to make [Page] an vncouth and strang construction of an vnsubscribed letter, but yet such an one as whereby both he and his, and all wee were wondrously deliuered from the greatest daunger that euer would haue befallen vs.

And that it may otherwise also appeare that this our Saluation was of the Lorde, consider with what intent the letter afore­said was written, namely to saue one friend from perishing among vs, but this resoluti­on being still holden that wee should haue receiued the terrible intended blow. How­beit, Almighty God, who by his infinite po­wer and wisedome bringeth light out of darkenesse, and life out of death:Isay. 45.1. and who made Cyprus his annointed holding and gui­ding his right hand to subdue nations for the deliuerie of his people out of the capti­uitie of Babilon, whereas Cyrus at the first meant nothing lesse, but only thought ther by to satisfie his owne ambition, vaine glo­rie, auarice, and crueltie: and who also turned the treachery of Iudas to the Salua­tion of mankind:Math. 26. euen hee the same God of his vnspeakeable goodnesse made vse of [Page] this vndated letter intended for the good of one man onely, to the preseruation of vs al both Prince and people.

Moreouer the greatnes of our deliuerance may appeare by this, that the conspiracie went forward, and our daunger continued without perfite discouerie, till within few houres of the appointed time wherein the cruell massacre should haue been put in ex­ecution. So Pharaoh brought the Jsraelites into such straytes,Exo. 14.21, 22. he being with his army behind them, that if the Sea, which was be­fore them, had not giuen present way vn­to them, they had been al put to the sword, man, woman, and child. Likewise Hezekiah was so distressed by Saneheribs armie that he confessed it to be a day of tribulation,Isay. 37.3. rebuke and blasphemie: for the children were come to the birth, & there was no strength to bring forth. In so much as Hezekia and his people must needs haue beene destroy­ed vnlesse the Lorde had sodainely put an hooke in Saneheribs nostrils and a bridle in his lips,verse. 29.36. and had caused his Angell to slay fourescore and fiue thousand of the ene­mies armie in the space of one night.Psa 11.6.3. When Dauid made this mone in the 116. Psalme, [Page] that the snares of death compared him, and the griefes of the graue caught hold on him his meaning was to signifie in what great danger he had beene in the wildernesse of Maon, when Saul and his armie compassed him and his followers round about to take them, so that they could not possiblie haue escaped the edge of the sword,1. Sam. 23 26.27. if there had not come by Gods prouidence an vnloo­ked for messenger to Saul in post, saying, Hast thee and come, for the Philistins haue inuaded the land. Vndoubtedly Jehoshua was brought neere to the point of his vtter vndoing seeing it is sayd of him:Zech. 3.2. Psa. 68.20. Is not this a firebrand taken out of the fire? Thus our God to whom belōgeth the issues of death hath infinite meanes to deliuer his in the greatest and most extreame daungers, that we may know that Saluation belongeth vn­to the Lord. Again that this our late preser­uatiō may be acknowledged to haue come of the Lord onely, call to minde what our doings and deserts were at that time & be­fore: surely I feare greatly, least if the Lord had visited vs,Zeph. 1.12. as in the day of Zephaniah hee searched Jerusalem with lightes, hee should haue founde many frozen in [Page] their dregs, that is, by their prosperitie har­dened in their wickednesse, and saying in their hearts the Lord wil neither doe good not euill. Hee should (I feare) haue found many drawing iniquitie with the cordes of vanitie, and sinne as it were with cart-ropes: putting far away the euil day,Isay. 5.18. approaching to the seat of iniquitie. Wherfore in this respect we may say with the Prophet Jeremie, Amos 6.3. Lam 3.22. It is the Lordes mercies that wee were not consumed, because his compassions faile not. And all this Saluation came vnto vs from the Lord for the Gospels sake which wee professe, least our enemies by their good successe in this attempt, should haue taken occasion to haue blasphemed the name of God, saying where is now the God of the Protestants?

But indeede one motiue of the conspi­ratours to encrease their hope of good successe in this wicked enterprise, was this conceit, that they supposed that God had giuen vs ouer for our sins, as may appeare by those words of the vndated letter for­merly named, God & man haue concurred to punish the wickednes of this time. This [Page] selfe same opinion encouraged Dauids ad­uersaries in this present Psalme,Psal. 3 2. as is colle­cted by the words of the second verse, Ma­nie say to my soule, there is no helpe for him in God. And likewise, in the 71. Psalme, Dauids enemies spake of him, and they that laid wait for his soule, tooke their Counsell together, saying, God hath forsaken him, persue & take him, for there is none to de­liuer him. This also was the cunning and machiauellian tricke of Saneherib, which he practised to terrifie Hezekiah with all, when he said: Am I now come vp without the lord to this land to destroy it? The Lord said vnto me,Isay 36.10. goe vp against this land & destroye it. Thus the late complotters pretended the name of GOD to deceaue withall, as though God had ordained them to be the rodde of his wrath in punishing of vs, and that the staffe in their hand had beene his indignation against vs.Isay. 10.5. But let them aun­swer this questiō of Esdras. Are the deeds of Babylon, better then they of Zion? 2. Esdras 3.31. Wee deserued destruction I confesse, but not by the hands of them whose life is noe better, & whose religion is far worse then ours. I [Page] may say of Rome, nowe as Jsai sometime spake of Ierusalem. How is the faithful Ci­tie become an Harlot?Isay. 1.21.22. thy siluer is become drosse, thy wine is mixt with water. God had not sold vs into their hands,1. King. 21.25. because they had solde themselues to worke wic­kednesse in the sight of the Lorde as did Ahab.

Psa. 73.1.And seeing that their purpose was defea­ted by diuine prouidence, and we were de­liuered from the snare which they priuily layd for vs, therefore we may say and sing, yet God is good vnto Jsrael, euen to the pure in heart. Verely if we had beene alto­gether destitute of Good men as they false­ly imagined, we had assuredly perished with fire-worke from below, as Sodom for want of ten iust men in it was destroyed with a raine of brimstone from aboue. But yet some Lot (praysed be God) remaineth in the Citie among vs to keepe vs from bur­ning, yet some Paul sayleth in the shippe with vs to keepe vs from drowning,Gen. 19.14. verse. 22. Act 27.24.25. Psal. 106.23. yet some Moses is founde standinge in the breach to turne away Gods wrath from vs.

[Page]And there is yet some Aaron left to make an atonement for vs. Yet, I saie, some Noes, Num. 16.46. to the 51. Ezech. 14.14.16.20. & Ier 15.1. or Jobs, or Samuels, or Daniels haue their being amongst vs, whose praiers are ef­fectuall for themselues and vs likewise. And so we finde saluation from the Lord.

Good Lord what lenitie went before on the behalfe of the Kings Maiestie and the state, and what crueltie was like to haue en­sued on the partes of the conspiratours? Heereby we see by experience the truth of that which we reade in the Prophet Isaie:Isay. 26 10. let mercie be shewed to the wicked yet hee will not learne righteousnesse, in the land of vprightnesse will he doe wickedlie, and will not behold the Maiestie of the Lorde. Though Dauid played with his hand vpon the harpe before Saule to mitigate the rage of the euill spirite that was vpon him,1. Sam. 19.9.10 yet Saule intended to smite Dauid to the wall with the speare which he held in his hand.1. Sam. 24.4 to the 9 & 26.7.8.9.20. Yea though Dauid spared the life of Saul, when he had him twise in his hands to stabbe him, or to dispose of him at his plea­sure, yet for all that Saul continually pursu­ed him, as one would seeke a flea or hunt a [Page] Partriche in the mountaines.

Thus the traytours would haue recom­penced the Kings lenitie with extreame cru­eltie; for if they had prospered in their most mischieuous intendement, they meant to haue killed the dāme with the yong: They purposed to meete vs as a beare robbed of her whelpes:Deut. 22.6. Prou. 17.12. Hab. 1.8. wee should haue found & felt them more fierce then the wolues in the euening. As they of Damascus threshed Gilead with threshing instruments of yron: and as they of Tyrus shut the whole capti­uitie in Edom: Amos 2.3.9.11.13. and as Edom pursued his brother with the sworde, casting of all pit­tie, and his anger spoyled him euermore, and his wrath watched him alway: and as the children of Ammon ript vp the women with child of Gilead, that they might enlarge their owne border: euen so for al the world would these tygerlike men haue dealt with vs. Adonibezek cut of the thumbs of the hands and feet of his captiues, and made them to gather bread vnder his table:Iud. 1.7. yet, hee suffred them to liue.

And Naash the Ammonite would make [Page] no couenant with them of Jabesh Gilead, 1. Sam. 11.2. except he might thrust out their right eies, and so bring that shame vppon Jsrael: yet was he content that they should enioy their liues. But if these blood-thirstie men, (some wherof are alreadie cut of by iustice not hauing liued out halfe their dayes) had come to the full period of their hearts de­sire, should haue beene hearde soundinge in our eares but kill and slay.Prouerb. 12.10. Thus euen the mindes of the wic­ked are cruell; but still Saluation is of the Lord.

These vnderminers of the state said hap­pily of vs one to another, let vs breake their bonds and take their cordes from vs:Psal. 2.3. but hee that dwelleth in the heauen did laugh: the Lorde had them in dirision. They said perhaps among themselues by imitation of the 83. Psalme. Come let vs cutte them of from beeing a Nation, and let the name of the Caluinists bee noe more in remembraunce. Let vs take their habitations for our posses­sion:Psa. 83 4 12.13, 16: 18.

[Page]But our God hath made them like vnto a wheele, and as the stuble before the wind, he hath filled their faces with shame, that they may knowe, that hee which is called Jehouah is alone, euen the most high o­uer all the earth. They resemble Ephraim and the inhabitants of Samaria, which saide in the pride and presumption of their heart. The bricks are fallen but we wil build it with hewen stones,Isay 9.9.10.11.12, the wild figge trees are cut downe, but wee will change them into Ce­dars: neuerthelesse, the Lorde will raise vp the aduersaries of Rezin against him, and ioyne his enemies together: Aram before, and the Philistines behind, and they shal de­uoure Jsrael with open mouth. They had no doubt as high and proud a conceite as possessed Benhadad, when he said, the gods doe so to me, and more also,1 King 20.10 11. if the dust of Sa­maria bee enoughe for all the people that follow mee for euerie man an handfull, but let not him that girdeth his harnesse boast himselfe, as hee that putteth it of. For SALVATION belongeth vnto the Lord.

Now then for somuch as no man doub­teth, [Page] and euerie man confesseth, that our late deliuerance out of exceeding great dan­ger proceeded from the Lord, lette vs first of all be admonished to be thankefull vnto Almightie God, by the example of Dauid, who after that hee had escaped the perill of the Court of Achish, solemnely promised in the 34. Psalme, that he would alwaies giue thankes vnto the Lord,Psa. 34 1. and that the prayse of God shold be continually in his mouth. And likewise by the example of Jehosaphat, 2. Chron. 20.26 who after that famous victo­rie against the vnited forces of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, assembled his sol­diers, and other his subiectes to blesse the lord in that place, which was afterwarde by that occasion called the valley of bles­sing.

Secondly, let vs receaue admonition to be constant in the professiō of the Gospel, notwithstanding all threats, calumniations, and dangers intended by the fraud or force of any enemies whatsoeuer,Psal. 119.23.51.69 85.61.25.28.83.109 entire. by the exam­ple of the Psalmist in the 119. Psalme, who, though Princes did sitte and speake against him, and the proud had him exceedingly in [Page] derision, imagining a lye against him, and digging pits for him: yea though the bands of the wicked robbed him, and laid snares for him, and wayted to destroy him: so that his soule cleaued to the dust, and melted for heauinesse, and hee was like a bottell in the smoake, and his soule was continually in his hand: yet hee declined not from the law of God, nor forgat his precepts, nor swarued from his testimonies and sta­tutes.

Thirdly, let vs be encouraged to hope for such helpe and succour in time of neede hereafter,Heb. 13.8. for that Iesus Christ yesterday, and to day, the same also is for euer, not onely the founder but also the preseruer of the Church. Hee was our arme in the morning when the Gospell began to be re­stored in these parts, and he will no doubt be our strength in the euening thereof vp­on earth. hee will performe his worke to­ward vs,Psa. 138.7, 8. and not forsake the worke of his hands. But this hope must be grounded vp­on a prouiso that we practise in life as wee professe in word. And therefore I say to all that be here present as Azariah the sonne [Page] of Obed said to King Asa and all Juda and Beniamin: Heare yee me, the Lord is with you, while you bee with him:2 Chron. 15.1. and if yee seeke him, hee will bee found of you, but if yee forsake him, hee will forsake you. Bee it farre from vs to runne the race of disobe­dience and obstinacie, till our wickednesse be full as the Amorites was,Gen. 15.16. when the Israe­lites came to invade them. Be it farre from vs, who haue lately receaued so great a Saluation from the Lorde,2 Chron. 36.16 to mocke the messengers of God, and despise his wordes and misuse his Prophets, vntil the wrath of the Lord should arise against vs, and till there were noe remedie but that GOD must needes punish our sinnes in his iust and heauie iudge­ment.

Fourthly, let vs be exhorted to fu­ture vigilancie against the priuie prac­tises of the Romish faction at home and abroad. Remember that when Ahab had ouerthrowen Ben-hadad in one sette bat­tell, hee was aduertised by a Prophet to bee of good courage,1. Kings. 20.22 but yet to [Page] take heede what hee did, because the King of Aram when the yeare was gone about wold come vp against him the second time. But surely the Iesuites and their consorts will not giue vs so long a breathing time. For they are like the raging Sea,Isay. 57.20.21. that can­not rest, whose waters cast vp mire and dirt. It would seeme that they are imitators of those euill and cruell men mentioned in the iii. Psalme,Psa. 111.22. which imagine euill things in their heart, and make warre continually. To vs they are strangers from the wombe. Can the blacke Moore chang his skinne,Psa. 58.3. Ier. [...]3.23. or the Leopard his spots? Then may these men also do good which are accustomed to do euill.

Heere I cannot omitte the sentence in the 76. Psalme, where is setfoorth the pow­er of God, and care for the defence of his people of Jeruslem, in the destruction of the Armie of Sancherib: The words, being directed to Almightie God, stand thus in the text:Psa. 76.10. Surely the rage of man shall turne to thy praise: the remnant of the rage shalt thou restraine. Euē so in this late cōspiracy such hath beene the euent that the rage of [Page] the conspirators hath turned to the prayse of God, who in his iust iudgement hath caused them to fall into the pit which they made and digged themselues:Psal. 7.15.16. procuring their mischiefe to returne vppon their owne head, and their crueltie to fall vpon their owne pate.Exod, 9.i6. GOD shew­ed his power in Pharaoh, and declared his name throughout all the world by his ouerthrow.Hab. 2.14. Likewise in the destru­ction the of the Babylonians, the earth was filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters couer the Sea.Isay. 26.9. And see­ing that such iudgements of God are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world shall learne righteousnesse. Thus by this late dis­couerie God is magnified, and the eyes of many, (I trust) are opened to see, that the Jesuites and the rest of the Romish brood are more daungerous guests to the state, then formerly they had beleeued.

But yet the remnant of their rage must be restrained, vnder Gods prouidence, by circumspection & foresight of the Church and common-wealth watchmen, by dili­gent [Page] and trustie inquisition, and by vnpar­tiall & vndelayed execution of lawes, which is the verie life of the lawes. And if all the premisses be obserued, then they that la­bour to bring in and erect poperie, shall be found the builders of Babell to their owne confusion:Gen. 11. And they shall bee subiect to the curse which fell on Hiel the Bethelite a­bout the reedifying of Jericho, who layd the foundation thereof in Abiram, 1. King. 16.34. his el­dest sonne, and set vp the gates thereof in his yongest son Segub. Then I say, shal their case nothing differ frō that of the ofspring of Esau, of whome God speaketh thus in Malachy. Though Edom say we are impoue­rished, but wee will returne and build the desolate places, yet saith the Lorde of Hostes, they shall build but I will destroy it,Malach. 1.4. and they shall call them the border of wickednesse and the people with whom the Lord is angrie for euer. And it shall bee saide of them, and their workes, as Habacuk speaketh: Beholde, is it not of the Lord of Hostes, that the people shall labour in the verie fire?Hab. 2.13. the people [Page] shall euen wearie themselues with verie va­nitie. They and their deuises shall consume like a snayle that melteth, and like the vn­timely fruite of a woman that hath not seene the sunne.Psa. 58.8.9. As raw flesh is taken out of the pot, before the water feele the fire of thornes, so shall God destroy their enter­prises before they can be effected: yea they shall be as the grasse on the house toppes,Ps. 129.6.7. which withereth afore it commeth foorth: wherof the mower filleth not his hand, nei­ther the gleaner his lap.Psa. 7.14. Then they may in­deed trauaile with wickednesse hauing con­ceaued mischiefe, but they shall bring forth a lye; they may purpose to hatch the cocka­trice egges, but they shall onely weaue the Spiders webbe. And hereof wee haue a stronge and stedfast hope,Isay. 59.5. because that as well the destruction of the wicked, as the Saluation of the Godly proceedeth from the Lord, whose blessing is vppon his peo­ple, accordinge to the latter part of this text. And thy blessing is vppon thy people. Beholde, and consider [Page] the humilitie, modestie, and sinceritie of Dauid: For if danger be imminent to the state, then hee casteth all the imputation thereof vpon himselfe saying,2. Sam. 24.17. I haue sinned, yea I haue done wickedly: but these sheepe what haue they done? let thine hand I pray thee, be against me and against my fathers house. But on the other side when as he is here deliuered from extreame danger, be­hold he ascribeth his deliuerance to Gods fauour toward his people, saying to Al­mightie God, with eyes and heart lifted vp to heauen, And thy blessing is vppon thy people.

Also when Dauid was falsely ac­cused by Chush,Psal. 7.6.7. one of Sauls kinsmen, he called vnto God for helpe, framing his prayer in this wise. Arise O Lorde in thy wrath, and lift vp thy against the rage of mine enemies, and awake for me accor­ding to the iudgement that thou hast ap­pointed So shall the congregation com­passe thee about: for their sakes returne on high (that is, declare thy power for thy Churches sake.)

[Page]Vpon whome falleth Gods blessing? ve­rely vpon Gods people.

Therefore we must first shew our selues to be Gods people, & then we may expect the encrease and continuance of Gods blessing. For the accomplishing whereof,Matth. 3.16. let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good workes,1. Pet. 2.9. Tit. 2.14. and glorifie our father which is in heauen, acknowledging vs to be a chosen generation, a royal priest­hood, an holy Nation, a peculiar people, zealous of good workes, shewing forth the vertues of him, that hath called vs out of darknes into his maruailous light.Psa. 21, 3.6. And then we may haue an assured hope, that God will preuent our King with liberall blessings, & set him as blessings for euer, making him a perpetuall example of his fauour to this presentage, & to all posteritie. Then I say, we may conceaue good hope, that God wil endue all of vs with conuenient blessings both spirituall and temporall, so that wee may liue in the feare of GOD, and die in his fauour, to bee partakers of the ioyes of Heauen prepared for vs, [Page] by the mediation of our Sauiour Iesus Christ, to whome with the father and the holy ghost be all honour and glorie, both now and for euermore. Amen.