The safest convoy, or, The strongest helper declared in a valedictory sermon before the Right Honourable Sr. Thomas Bendish, Baronet, His Majesties ambassadour ... / deliverd by Nathanaell Hardy.

The safest convoy, or, The strongest helper declared in a valedictory sermon before the Right Honourable Sr. Thomas Bendish, Baronet, His Majesties ambassadour ... / deliverd by Nathanaell Hardy.

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Title page

TO The Right Honorable Sir Thomas Bendish Baronet, His Majesties Ambassadour, resident with the Grand Seigneur at Constantinople. & TO The right Vertuous and most worthy Lady, the Lady Anne Bendish, his affectionate Consort. Encrease of Grace, Length of daies, and Eternity of Glory.

THE SAFEST CONVOY, OR THE STRONGEST HELPER. ISAIAH the 43. the former part of the second verse.

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THE SAFEST CONVOY, OR THE STRONGEST HELPER.
ISAIAH the 43. the former part of the second verse.

‘When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee.’

A Comfortable Scripture written like Ezeckiels Scrole, intus & à tergo, without and within; without, in verborum foliis; within, in radice rationis, without in the history, within in the mystery; without in the letter, within in the Spirit: that is as the golden Pot, this as the hidden Manna; that as the shell and mother of Pearl, this as the Margarite contained in it.

If with some we reade the Verse in the Preter perfect tense cum transieris, and understand them literally, they referre to that miraculous presence of God with, and preservation of his people Israel, when they passed through the waters of the Red Sea, and the River Iordan, both which were wonderfully divided, that so the Israelites might have a passage to Canaan, and thus they are a seasonable comfort to all those who either on publique emploiments, or their own lawfull affairs, passe the great waters, as being from hence [Page] warranted to expect, though not such a miraculous; yet a gracious presence of God with them.

If with others we reade the words in the Future tense cum transieris, Lap. Calv. and conster them Allegorically, they referre to the Babylonian Captivity; in which God promiseth to be with them, and thereby to deliver them; and so they are fitly applicable to the Church of God, and every member thereof in all ages, assuring her of Gods powerfull assistance in her passage through the waters of tribulation to the heavenly Jerusalem; this later construction is doubtlesse most consonant to the Text, and therefore shall be chiefly insisted on, yet withall I shall in the close touch upon the former, as best agreeing to the present occasion.

But to unlock the Metaphor of the Text, conceive the World as a Sea full of waters, the Church as a Ship sailing in this Sea, passing through those waters, persecutions as the windes that raise the waves, and endanger the overwhelming of the Ship; notwithstanding which, having the Crosse of Christ for her main Mast, the sacred promises to be her Cablas, the graces of Faith, Hope, and Patience as her Anchors, pure and holy affections as her Sails, and the gentle winde of the Spirit to favour her; finally, having the Word for her Helm, and God for her Pilot, she sails securely, and at last arrives safely at the haven of heaven; When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee, &c.

The words you see are dulcissima promissio, a sweet and gracious promise,Scult. wherein you have considerable,

1. The excellency of the blessing promised, I will be with thee.

2. The seasonablenesse of the time when it shall be accomplished, when thou passest through the waters.

3. The felicity of the benefit procured by it, they shall not overflow thee.

Nothing more amiable then Gods presence, his presence is never more comfortable then when we passe through the waters, and the power of that presence in those waters appears [Page] most admirable, in that they do not overflow us.

If you please to call the Church a Ship, you have observable her Voyage, her Pilote, her Successe; the Voyage perillous, the Pilote glorious, the Successe prosperous; the Voyage full of danger, the Pilote full of skill, the Successe full of comfort: there is a necessity of the Voyage, we must through the waters, there is a certainty of the Pilote, God will be with us, and security in the Successe, the Rivers shall not overflow thee.

Or if you will, take notice in the Text of these three generals.

Periculi suppositio, an imminent danger supposed, When thou passest through the waters.

Anxilii promissio, eminent help promised, I will be with thee.

Beneficii positio, permanent safety assured, they shall not overflow thee.

Yet once more, and in this method I shall handle the text: here is

1. The Churches outward condition, that is dolorous; When thou passest through the waters, and through the rivers.

2. Her safe preservation in that condition, and that is joyous, they shall not overflow thee.

3, The effectual cause of her safe preservation in that afflicted condition, namely Gods gracious presence: I will be with thee.

It cannot be but the Saints of God should passe through waters, though they passe through them, yet they shall not be plunged into them: and the reason of this safety is, because God is with them, those are the three rivulets into which the fountain of this text powrs it self, through each of which, whilest my discourse and your attention shall passe, let our prayer be, that Gods gracious presence may so be with us, as the water of life may overflow our hearts and fructifie our lives to his glory and our comfort, and so I begin with

[Page] The 1. Gen.The Churches dolorous condition exprest in those words, When thou passest through the waters.

There are two sorts of waters through which every Saint must passe, the waters of contrition and affliction, of inward sorrow end outward trouble, those we may call the waters of Marah, repentant tears being full of bitternesse, and yet sweetned by casting in the tree of the crosse; these the waters of Meribah caused through the spirit of contention in wicked men,Exo. 15.23. which makes them strive with, and set themselves against Gods people,Numb. 10.13. to passe through those is our duty, through these our misery: to the one we are invited, for the other we must be prepared: those the Prophet Jeremy maketh the matter of his desire. O that my head were waters, and mine eyes a fountain of tears, Jer. 9. these the Prophet David maketh the object of his complaint, Hear me O God, Psa. 126.5. for the waters are come into my soul, Psal. 69. Finally, those God promiseth as a mercy to his people, Jer. 31.6. They shall come with weeping, and I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters: indeed, no coming unto God for mercy, but by the waters of godly sorrow for our sins. These are supposed in the text as a danger, to which the Church hath alwaies been exposed in this life, when thou passest through the waters.

Many are the resemblances to which the Scripture compares the afflictions of the Church, but none more common then this of waters; in the thirtieth of this Prophecy, we finde bread and water joyned together,Isa. 30.20. the one whereof is eaten, and the other drank, to teach us that afflictions are as needfull for us as the food by which we are nourisht, in this Verse we finde fire and water joyned together, through both which the Church is forced to passe, sometimes materially, however analogically.

It is the observation of one upon the Text, that the greatest dangers of life come to us from those things which are most needfull for us:A [...]ar. in text. without water and fire life cannot be preserved, and yet by them it is often endangered, and surely as a man cannot live without these, so neither can the Saints [Page] without affliction. Nor only are afflictions in generall, but persecutions in speciall represented by these waters, so the Church groaning under the fury of her enemies, cried out, that the waters flowed over her, Lam. 3.54. and Sions adversaries are called by the Psalmist, proud waters, Psal. 126.5. Nor do these waters only exp [...]sse ordinary or easie, but violent and outragious persecution. Nullum elementorum aqua & igni ad nocendum potentius. Scult. Of all Elements fire and water are the most mercilesse, and the water is more vehement then fire; since fire may be quencht by water, but waters cannot be resisted by any humane force: thus are wicked mens oppressions full of cruelty. The Wiseman saith, That their tender mercies are cruelty, how much more then their cruelties?Prov. 16.10. And as we finde mention of waters, so rivers of waters noting the variety and perpetuity of the Churches troubles. Multitudes of drops concur to make up a River, and yet not one but many Rivers must be passed through: standing pools are soon dry, but Rivers run continually. Sorrows seldome come alone, it was Jobs complaint that God brake in upon him with breach upon breach, and David, that one deep called upon another, at the noise of the water-spouts; and Paul, Job 16.14. Psal. 42.7. 2 Cor. 11.25, 26. that he was in perils often by Sea, by Land, in City, in Countrey: that complaint of Megara in the Tragoedian justly befits the Church: Nulla lux unquam mihi secura fuit, Sen. Trag. finis alterius mali gradus est futuri, wicked mens malice is boundlesse, no wonder, Sions troubles are lasting, and the end of one misery proves the fore-runner of another: so true is that of the Apostle, through many tribulations we must enter into Gods Kingdome. Act. 14.2 [...].

But whence, may some say, are these waters and rivers? I answer:

Partly from the bottles of Heaven above, which being opened, pour out waters upon the earth, affliction comes not out of the dust, nor befals us by chance, but by divine providence, those cruelties to which the Saints are exposed, by whomsoever acted, are by God disposed,Job 5.6. both the abundance [Page] and continuance of those waters are at his appointment: true it is, the waters that fall from the clouds above, are bred of the vapours that ascend from the earth below, and it is our sins that are the cause of all troubles, which are sent by God upon us, we deserve, he inflicts, we provoke, he chastiseth, our iniquities are the meritorious, his equity the efficient cause of all calamity.

Partly, as many Rivers are fed by Springs out of the bowels of the earth; so these waters arise out of the depths of hell; it is Satan that opens the fountain of malice in wicked mens hearts, whence the streams of oppressions flows upon good men heads; it is the winde of diabolicall instigation which raiseth the waves, encreaseth the water, augments the rage of Zions adversaries; thus both heaven and hell concurre to the sending forth of these waters, but on a different ground, and to a different end; God justly, Satan unjustly; God for our sins, the devil for our righteousnesse. Finally, Gods end is to cleanse our filth, and wash away our pollutions, the devils to overwhelm our persons, and sink us into the depth of misery.

Vse.To apply this. Oh let us be wise to look for and provide against these slabby steps in our Christian race, he that goes to Sea must resolve before-hand to meet with many a cold blast, dashing wave, rolling tempest ere he come to his harbour: let all who engage for heaven do the like, sit down and consider what pains and sufferings it must cost them ere they come thither, by this means we shall the lesse fear, and the better bear troubles when they come, praemeditati mali mollis ictus, that evil which is fore-thought of by us, will prove the more easie to us: They say of the Basilisk▪ that if it first see a man, it kils him; but if the man first see it, he is safe: let it be our prudence to foresee evils ere they come, that we may the better undergo them when they come, and surely if we consider things aright, we have no reason to be discouraged at these waters: for

1. It is an Argument we are in the direct way to our Countrey, the path to hell is miry through corruptions, [Page] to Heaven watery through afflictions: Saint Pauls assertion is universall, All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. 2 Tim. 3.12. Christianus non est, qui non crucianus: Christianity entitles her professors to the crosse, the way to blisse is not strewed with Roses, but hedged with thorns: he that lives in pleasure and enjoys the worlds favour, may well suspect himself as a wanderer in the broad way; but he that findes hatred and persecution from ungodly Samaritanes, may at least probably conclude himself in favour with God, and a Traveller in the way to Jerusalem.

2. It is but a passing through, not a dwelling in, the waters. Afflictions may be violent, they shall not be permanent. Athanasius said of the persecution in his time, it was Nubecula citò transitura, a cloud that should soon vanish, a showr that would quickly cease. The wicked are said to dwell with devouring fire, the faithfull only passe through;Isa. 33.14. the Scriptures usuall Metaphor resembles Saints to strangers and pilgrims, 1 Pet. 2.11. who only passe through or sojourn for a time, but make no long stay, why should they wonder at or be troubled with that ill usage they finde in their passage? The world is fitly compared to a Sea, and the Sea is no place to continue in; dangers we must expect to meet with so long as we are sailing but that sailing, will not be long. And

3. Consider not so much through what, as whither thou passest, look beyond the waters to the shore, the passage is calamitous, the Countrey where thou art going glorious; it is to possesse thy inheritance, and receive thy crown. O let the sweetnesse of the end mitigate the badnesse of the way, and the pleasantnesse of the Countrey make amends for the tediousnesse of the journey. Finally, know to thy comfort thou shalt passe through these waters, no remora shall withhold, nor contrary windes impede thee, though thou maist be molested, yet not overflown by those waters: which leads to the second Generall.

The Churches preservation in her afflicted condition, they shall not overflow thee, The 2. Gen. Musc. in loc. habet unumquodque periculum unde timeatur; [Page] every thing threatens its peculiar danger, which makes us fear the fire burning, the water drowning; but quod aliis exitio ipsis innoxium, that which is destructive to others shall not be hurtfull to the Church, let persecutions be as fire yet the Church is like Moses Bush, which was burnt but not consumed: let them be like waters, the Church shall be as Noahs Ark, which still arose higher as the waters encreased, these waters may arise from the ankles to the knees, from the knees to the breast, from the breast to the chin, but they shall never overflow the head: collo licet tenus mergaris non patior te omnino demergi, premendus es non perimendus, we must be washt, we must not sink, crusht we may be, killed we shall not be. The boul or bladder may be dipt, cannot be drowned; the house that is built upon the rock may be shaken but cannot be overthrown, and they that trust in the Lord, saith the Psalmist, shall be as mount Zion that cannot be moved;Psa. 125.1. Excellent to this purpose is that of S. Paul, we are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplext, but not in despair; perscuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed, 2 Cor. 4.8, 9. And again in the Chap. 6.9, 10. As dying, and yet behold we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowfull, yet alwaies rejoycing. Thus have the Saints found life in death, comfort in sorrow, safety in danger, and though the waters have been about them, yet they could not come over them; true it is, we finde the Prophet complaining, that the waves and billows were gone over him, Psal. 42.7. And the Church useth the like expression, where she saith, the waters flowed over my head, Lam. 3.54. So may you have sometimes seen the surly waves over-topping the ship, and yet at last the ship arising above the waves, or a skilfull swimmer diving into the River, but coming forth again; and thus, the Church though she be not only wet in the shallow but cast into the deep, bound in the prison but thrown into the dungeon, yet all this is only for a time; and after all, she shall come forth gloriously: indeed like the palm tree, the more she is opprest the more she spreads, like the Camomil the more she is trod [Page] upon she groweth the faster, and her greatest sufferings prove not exitiall but medicinal. Nor is this lesse true of every Saint in particular then of the Church in generall, In the flouds of many waters they shall not come nigh him, saith David of a godly man, Psa. 52.7. And surely if they shall not come nigh him, much lesse shall they overflow him, they may come nigh his, but not him: these waters may sink his state, his goods, his comforts, nay, his life; but not his soul which is himself. Anaxarcus told the Tytant,Tunde tunde, Anaxarcum non tundis. when he beat him in a mortar, it was only the casket, he could not touch the pearl; such is all the power that wicked persecutors have over ours, not us, the body not the soul, they are but flesh and can do nothing but to the flesh, our better part remains secure, so that though they may sometime foyl, yet they shall never wholly overthrow the Saints.

To apply this, Hence then all carnall fears,Vse. distracting thoughts, and despairing terrors, afflictions may rise high but we shall still rise above them, nay, let us know to our comfort, that when the night is darkest, the day-break is nearest, and when the waters flow the highest, they will beginne to ebbe. What need the Mariner fear the greatest storm, when he knows it shall not split his Shippe? Why should the Souldier be dismayed at the sharpest combate when he is sure to win the field? Why should any the greatest dangers distract the Saint, when he hath a promise they shall not overtop him. True it is, the rod of the wicked may be painfull to the righteous, but it shall not rest upon him: Exercemur sed eripimur, Calv. impetimur non obruimur; God may suffer tribulations to exercise our graces, he will not suffer them to overwhelm our persons. To end this, O see the happy condition of the godly. Wicked men are drowned in sweet honey, while the righteous escape through the bitter waters, the prosperity of the fool slaies him, the adversity of the wise betters him: good things prove offensive to the bad, the worst things shall not be destructive to the good. Well might Saint Paul say in the name of himself, and the rest of the Saints, Nay, in [Page]all these things we are more then conquerours, Rom. 8.37. and if we will know the reason of all this, he addeth in that verse, through him that loveth us, and the Text speaketh not much unlike, God is with us, which leades to the

The 3. Gen.Third and main part of the Text, Gods gracious presence, the effectuall cause of the Churches preservation, I will be with thee.

There is a double presence of God, the one generall, the other speciall; the one with the world, the other with his Church; the one quatenus immensus, by the immensity of his Essence;Mendoz. the other quatenus benevolus, through the benevolence of his love; the one is a Monitor to duty, the other a cordiall against misery. In the former sense God is not only with the good but the bad; yea, all his creatures. According to the latter, he is only with his Church, to her its only promised, and on her it's only conferred; it is the name which the Prophet giveth the holy City, [...] the LORD is there;Ezek. 48.35. and JOHN saw Christ in a Vision walking in the midst of the seven Candlesticks, the Church being alwaies the place of Gods peculiar residence:Rev. 1.13. and according to the double consideration of the Church, God vouchsafeth a double presence, she is either triumphant or militant, reigning or warring, and God accordingly is present by glory and grace, majesty and mercy, that he manifesteth to her in heaven, this on earth, that in the caelestiall Countrey, this while she is sayling on the tempestuous Sea; When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee.

The end of Gods merciful presence with his people, is not to be as a bare Speactator, but as an active worker, and he so looks on as that he acts for his peoples good, when they are under evils. Adest omnibus suis ex aequo, verum operationes praesentiae diversimodè se habent, Musc. The operations of this presence are various and excellent, according to the determination of his wisedom, for his own glory and our good, the severall acts, which by being present [Page] with, he exercises towards us, may be justly, and are fully enumerated in these five particulars. He is with us in these waters, cohibendo, conservando, consolando, dirigendo, eripiendo.

What the banks are to the Sea, that his presence is to these waters in bounding them, what the plank is to the shipwrackt Marriner, that is Gods presence to the Saint, carrying him safe to shore. Finally, what a Convoy is for the guarding, a Pilote for the guiding or the Shippe, and a faithfull friend to comfort in a storm, all this is Gods presence to the Church in her afflictions.

1. God is with us in the waters cohibendo, to bridle the rake of these waves, and bound the fury of these waters: he that sets bounds to the sea, saying, Hitherto it shall passe and no further, restrains the power,Job 38.11. quiets the rage of wicked men, and saith, Thus much they shall do and no more. These waters ebbe and flow at Gods pleasure, he keeps the Sluce to let them in and out as he will. So true is that of the Psalmist, Surely, the wrath of man shall praise thee: and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain, Psal. 76.10. Persecutors are a rod, but in Gods hand; they are Lions and Wolves, but chained by his Providence; swelling waters, but bounded by his commandment. The accomplishment of this, as an effect of Gods presence, is plainly intimated by the Psalmist, Psal. 46.9, 11. In the 9. verse he assures the ceasing of warres, the breaking of the bowes, the burning of the Chariot, that is, to weaken the strength, and bridle the malice of Zions enemies, and if we would know how this should be effected, the answer is given at the 11. verse, The Lord of Hosts is with us; and yet more fully, the Church acknowledgeth this truth. Psal. 124. If it had not been the Lord had been on our side, when men rose up against us, they had swallowed us up quick, and the waters had overwhelmed us. Indeed, it is only an Almighty presence can command and stiil the ptoud waves. The Story of Canutus once King of England, is very memorable, [Page] who sitting at a low water upon the river Thames, commanded the water it should not come nigh him, but the Tide returning, ceased not to rise higher till it wet his feet: whereupon he went home, and set his Crown upon the Crucifix at Westminster. It is none but God can stay the course of the water, and it is the same hand must stop the current of wicked mens fury against his people: thus God was with the three Worthies to quench the violence of the fire, with Daniel to stop the mouths of Lions, and with Jacob to bridle his Uncles envy.

2. God is with us in the waters, conservando, as to bridle them, so to preserve us; Gods presence doth not secure from the water, but in the water: fond nature thinks that God should not let the winde blow upon his darlings, and it was Gideons argument, If the Lord be with us, why hath all this befallen us? Judges 6.13. Admirabatur quod simul starent haec duo, Caj [...]t. in loc. viz. Deum esse cum eis, & pati eos tot mala. He thought the presence of God, and outward evils, to be inconsistent: he could not imagine that God should be nigh, and trouble near too; herein he shewed himself not skil'd, tam Arte quam Marte; and though a valiant souldier, yet a bad Logician: though God be with us, yet the waters may come in upon us, but not over us, If God be with us, who can be against us? saith Saint Paul: Rom. 8.31. indeed, who will not be against us, but who so against us as to hurt us? thus God is with us? as Christ was with Peter, when ready to sink into the Sea, stretching forth his hand to uphold him. The Lord is with us, saith the Psalmist, and what follows, The God of Jacob is our Refuge, Psal. 46.7. Divine presence exempts not from, but is a refuge in the storm. Moses expression is yet fuller, The eternall God is thy Refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms, Deuter. 33.27▪ A mans hand put under the chin keeps him from sinking into the water; much more can the armes of a God uphold us in troubles; and therefore these two are fitly joyned together, Fear thou not, for I am with thee, I will strengthen thee, yea, I will help, yea, I [Page]will uphold thee with the right hand of my Righteousnesse: Isa. 41.10.

3. God is with us in the waters, consolando, to co [...]t our hearts, and refresh our spirits in the midst of [...] [...]ictions. When the coldnesse of the [...] with flaggons of wine to revive us; wh [...]n [...] [...]ainting under trials, he is at hand with [...] cherish us; this David found verified in his own [...]xperience, when in the middest of the shadow of death he resolves to fear none ill, because God was with him, and his staffe did comfort him, Psal. 23.4. Thus God stood by Paul, when accused wrongfully by his enemies, and breathed a word of comfort into his ears, s [...]ying, Be of good chear, Acts 23.11. We reade Genesis 1.2. that the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters; the Hebrew word is Emphat [...]call, [...] being a M [...]taphor from the Dove that sits upon h [...]r egges, ch [...]ishing them by her heat, producing out of them a living creat [...]re like to her self,Verbum tr [...] statum ab ar [...] bus pulliti [...] [...]. Jun. in [...]. Par. ibi [...]. ther [...]by signifying Praes [...]ntiam non qual [...]mcunque, s [...]d amabilem & peculiarit [...]r [...], that [...]miable and [...]fficacious pres [...]nce of Gods Spirit which wrought so glorious a Fabrick out of that [...]de Ch [...]s, a [...]it Embleme of the truth in hand, it being the same Spirit that moves powerfully and comfortably upon the waters of affliction, producing joyfull effects out of the saddest calamities that befall his people.

4. God is with us in the waters, dirigendo, to steer our course, guide our passage through the troubl [...]some waves; what the cloud by day, a [...]d the pillar of fire by night was to the Israelites when they passed through the desolate Desart into Canaan, the same is Gods presence to his people while they wander through the wildernesse of this world to heaven. David tels us God was with him by his rod as well as by his staff, the Shepherds rod guides and governs the sheep:Psa. 23.4. so doth God in troubles direct his people. When Jehoshaphat knew not what to do, God was with him to advise and counsell what course he should take,2 Chro. 20.11. and when Elisha's servant saw no means of deliverance for his master and himself [Page] from the encompassing enemy, God was with him at the Prophets praier to open his eyes, that he might see his succour.2 Kin. 2.6.17. How oft is the Mariner (when through the darknesse of the night, or the strangenesse of the coast at a losse) directed to steer his course by the appearing of a Star, thus when Gods people are so environ'd about with waters, that they can see no Land, and darkned by clouds that they can see no light, then doth his presence like a Star appear, directing them in the way of safety.

5. God is with us in the water, eripiendo, to deliver out of present trials, and restore former, or adde better comforts; Friendly majesty is present to rescue oppressed innocency.Chrysost. Adest amica majestas ut innocentia liberetur. It is the promise which God himself makes to the beleeving soul, I will be with him in trouble, and what follows, as the blessed effect of his presence, but liberation and exaltation, I will deliver him and honour him, Psa. 91 15. It was the experience which the Church had of Gods falthfulnesse in accomplishing this promise, we went through fire and water, but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place, Psal. 66.12. Thus is God with his people, not only to comfort them in, and support them under, but to rescue them out, and reward them after all their troubles, according to that of the Prophet, Jer. 30.11. I am with thee saith the Lord, to save thee: various and miraculous are the means which God useth to deliver his people out of the water.

Gen. 7.1.19, 20. 1 Kin. 18.4.Sometimes he provides an Ark as he did for Noah, a Zoar, as he did for a Lot, a Cave as he did for the Prophets, hiding his people from the raging waves, the fury of their enemies.

Sometimes he sends a Nurse as he did for Moses to take him out of the waters,Exod. 2.7. he provides boards, as he did for Paul, and the rest of his company,Act. 21.44. Jonah 2.17. when the ship was split whereby they escaped safe to land: he prepareth a Whale, as for Jonah to swallow him that the Sea might not devour him▪ and as Arion in Plutarch, being cast into the waters by the cruel Mariners, was brought to shore on a Dolphins back; so he when thrown over-board by Gods justice, was through his [Page] mercy conveyed to land in a Whales belly: thus doth God prosper weak and small means, yea, finde out strange and unexpected waies for the rescue of his Saints.

Sometimes he divides the waters,Evo. 14.11. Jud. 2.22. as he did the red Sea for Israel; he sets the Churches enemies one against another, and by dividing, both weakens them, and preserves his: So he did for Gideons small Army to the Midianites mighty host, setting every mans sword against his fellow.

Sometimes he turneth the streames of the waters, changeth the windes, that whereas before they were contrary, they become favourable to the Church, and serviceable to her passage. Thus was Esau's heart mollified towards Jacob, who in stead of a devouring enemy becomes an embracing friend, and meets him with kisses;Gen. 33.4. to whom he had intended blows. Thus did Ioseph, having God with him,Gen. 39.22. finde savour in the fight of the Goaler, to whom he was committed: indeed, what Solomon saith, of the Kings heart, is true of all mens,Prov. 21.1. that they are in the hands of the Lord as the rivers of waters, and he turns them whithersoever he will: no wonder then, if sometimes he mollifies the obdurate, qualifies the malicious, and melts the frozen hearts of wicked men unto love and compassion towards his servants.

Finally, Sometimes he abates, and wholly dries up these waters, so that the Sea becomes a dry Land, when he lessens the power, takes away the sting, breaks the horn, and dashes out the teeth of the ungodly, so that they are not able to hurt his Saints; the heat of the Sun dispels the clouds, and dries up the over-flowing waters, and the presence of God is many times pleased to vanquish his enemies, scatter their forces, thereby commanding deliverances for Jacob, however if he deliver nor out of, he will by these waters; if he save not from trouble, he will make the very trouble a means of safety, and when they may perish temporally in the waters of distresse, he will yet be with them to save them eternally in the mansion of blisse.

You have seen the extent of this comfortable promise, and [Page] if any shall demand a reason of Gods effectual presence with his Church in danger, I answer:

1. Partly, the Churches near relation unto him obligeth, So much is intimated in the close of the precedent verse, thou art mine, no wonder, we reade in the next verse, I will be with thee, Psa. 80.1. the Church is a flock, God is the Shepherd: So the Psalmist, Hear thou Shepherd of Israel, which leadest Joseph like a sheep: What more needfull then the Shepherds residence with his flock, especially in a time when Wolves approach? the Church is a house, and God the owner, so Saint Peter cals her the House of God: [...] Pet. 4.17. where should a mans dwelling be but in his house? and especially his presence is required when robbers invade it. She is his Spouse, and he her husband: no relation engageth to nearer union and fuller communion then this; one house, one board, one bed holds the man and wife. Who should defend the woman when assaulted but the husband? and will God that is spiritually married to his people withdraw himself, or withhold his succour from them? Finally, she is the Ship, and he her Master; and though while the Ship is in harbour, the Masters absence may be dispensed with, yet by no means when she is sailing in the deep.

2: His deer affection to his Church inclines him, Animus non ubi animat, sed ubi amat: the soul is not so much where it lives, as where it loves: indeed love is affectus unionis, a desire of union, it was the wish of two friends to Vulcan, that he would new make them into one: and surely Gods love to his Church infinitely surpassing the love of any creature, must needs unite him to, and make him one with her. The Psalmist speaking of a righteous man, renders this as the reason of Gods being with him, because he hath set his love upon God, but doubtlesse the reason holds far stronger in the other way,Psa. 91.14, 15. because God hath set his love upon his Church, therefore he will be with her; such is Gods tendernesse toward his people, that were it not for his own honour and their good, he would not suffer them to passe through the waters; sure then he cannot but be with [Page] them when they are in the waters, yea, for this cause he is pleased to bring them into depths of misery, that the glory as of his power, so love, may be heightned in their delivery.

To close up this truth in a usefull application.

I might from hence take occasion, and that justly,Vse. to bespeak these waters which encompasse the Church.

O ye proud waves why do ye roar in impetuous words? why do ye rise in insolent actions against Sion, and her friends? Know ye not that all your rage will prove but vain and cursed? Can you overtop heaven? then you may overthrow the Church; Can you pull God out of his Throne? then you may root his people out of the world, and not till then; Nemo nos laedit nisi qui Deum vincit, August. ye cannot injure the Saints, unlesse ye strike thorow God; God is so with us, that he is in the generation of the just, Psa. 14.5. qui Ecclesiam impetunt, Deum petunt, you cannot wound them but you must wound God; yea, he is so with his people, that they are said to be in him.Psa. 91.1. It's Davids Character of a godly man, that he dwelleth in the secret of the Most High, you must destroy God ere you can destroy them. God is said to bear his people upon Eagles wings, Exod. 19.4. It is observed of the Eagle, that she carries not her young ones in her claws, as other Birds do, but being laid upon her shoulder, she covers them with the spreading of her wings, so that the Fowler who shoots at them, must first wound her; truly they that will injure the Church, must first fight against God, and how vain all such attempts are, even Balaam was convinced of, when he told Balak, How shall I curse whom God hath not curst? Numb. 23.8. and therefore it was his devilish policy to separate Israel from God by sinning, for then he knew he might conquer them by fighting: the like thought, no doubt, possessed Davids enemies, when they said, God hath forsaken him, persecute him, and take him, Psal. 71.11. tacitely acknowledging, that while God is nigh his people, their enemies may pursue, but they shall not overtake them. Nor is your rage only fruitlesse, but cursed; you cannot wrong them, but [Page] you will destroy your selves. Gather together, oh you waters, but you shall be dispersed, it is the Churches triumph, Associate your selves, O you people, but you shall be broken in pieces; Isa. 8.9, 10. for God is with us. Know you not that you dash against that rock which will scatter you? Consider you not, that God hath said of Zion, Non saxcus, non ahe [...]eus sed igneus, qui & comminus arceat & eminus terreat. Theod. Psal. 77.16. I will be the glory in the midst of her, and a wall of fire round about her, Zech. 2.5. Every dart you throw against this wall will retort upon your selves, and the fire will flash in your own faces; tremble then, oh tremble to think, that those whom you are against, God is with. The waters saw thee, G God, the waters saw thee, they were afraid. Oh that you would take notice of Gods powerfull presence, and abate your swelling waves; but alas! what do I spend my breath upon these waters, which is likely to prove but as a contraty winde, and make them rage the more. I leave them therefore, and betake my self in a word of comfort and counsell to the passengers through these waters. And

1. See hence what a faithfull God ye have to stand by you, one that will not fail in greatest need; no such triall of a friend as in the time of trouble, it is the too usual course of the world, to deal with their friends, as men do with Sun-Dials, only look upon them while the Sunne of prosperity shines; or as women do with flowers, while they are flourishing they put them in their bosomes, but when once withered, cast them to the dunghill: but the Almighty deals not so with his friends, yea, when our danger is greatest, his help is nearest; oft times the case is so desperate, that friends society can only afford pity, not succour; they may look on, they cannot take off; but the presence of God is ever active and powerfull, and whereas toe most faithfull friends part at death, this friend will not then leave us; David knew he would be with him in the shadew of death; and Saint Paul assureth us, neither death, nor life, shall separate his love; not onely when we walk through the pleasant meadow of prosperity, but when we go through the salt waters of affliction, nay, when [Page] we passe through mare mortuum, the Sea of death, he will be with us; it is the deriding question which the Saints enemies put to them in affliction, Vbi Deus, where is now their God? Psal. 79.10. Josh. 1.5. but they may return a confident answer, hic Deus, our God is here nigh to us, round about us, in the midst of us, It was his promise to Joshua, and is repeated by Saint Paul, as belonging to all the faithfull, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee;Heb. 13.5. [...]. a double negation among the Greeks denies more vehemently, much more a five-fold negative, and yet so emphatically doth the Originall expresse it, to assure us, that there is no time, nor place, nor want, nor streight, nor affliction, wherein God will leave or forsake his people.

2. Learn hence the blissefull state of a Saint, who hath Gods presence ever with him; nothing makes affliction truly uncomfortable but the want of Gods face; indeed, the most prosperous estate without God, is a curse, and the greatest affliction with God is a blessing;Cum Dei sint omnia, habcut [...] Deum nihil d [...] erit si Deo ips [...] non desit. Cyp. the Saint when he wants most, he wants nothing, because he hath him that hath all things; not the brightest star can make it day when the Sunne is set, not the thickest clouds can make it night while the Sun shines. Oh Divine presence, thou turnest night into day, stones into bread, and drosse into gold; thou makest the Wildernesse a Paradise, the Cottage a Palace, and the Prison a Mansion; thou art riches in poverty, wealth in want, a cordiall in sicknesse, an antidote against poyson, light in darknesse, and life in death. Shew us the Father, Joh. 24.8. saith Philip▪ and it sufficeth: give us thy self Lord, and it is enough, hell would not be hell if God were there, much lesse can these waters make the Saint miserable while God is with him.

3. Say to thy self with David, Oh thou distressed Saint, Why art thou cast down O my Soul, Psa. 42.11. why art thou disquieted within me? hope thou in God, and that not only when the waters are low, but when they rise to the height, Thy way, O God, is in the Sea, saith the Psalmist, not onely in the shallow River, but in the deep Sea,Psa. 77.19. not only in the [Page] lesser troubles, but in the greatest exigences, Saeviat mare, conturbentur montes, Deus in Ecclesia non dimovebitur, if you please, the Psalmist will English it; Though the waters roar, Psa. 46.5. though the mountains shake, God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved.

[...]. Isid. Pel.If God be with us, all in God is for us; favour [...]ffecting, power effecting, wisedom directing, providence protecting, and faithfulnesse perfecting deliverance for us.

If God be with us, all the creatures are for us; what Jehoshaphat said to Ahab, that God saith unto his Church, I am as thou art, my people as my people, and my horses as thy horses, 2 King. 3.7. It was the comfort Saint Paul gave the Corinthians, and in them all beleevers. Whether Paul, or Apollo, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come, all are yours, and ye are Christs, and Christ is Gods, 1 Cor. 3.22, 23. The Angels are ours to guard us, the Ministers to comfort us, all creatures to serve us, and surely he need not fear the waters, that hath the winde and tide on his side: what trouble should dismay a Christian that hath heaven and earth to support him? no wonder then that we finde the Scripture so often disswading from carnall fear upon this ground of Gods spiritual presence. Not to multiply instances, view Isa. 10.15, 14. where no lesse then four times God cals upon his Church not to fear, upon this argument, because he was with her and would help her.

Chear up then thou disconsolate soul, doubt not of the Churches safety in generall, The Lord in the middest of her is mighty, he will save, he will rejoyce over her with ioy, Zeph. 3.17. Despair not of thine own preservation in particular,Cyprian. Maior est Dominus ad protegendum, quàm diabolus ad impugnandum, God is more powerfull to protect, then Satan and his instruments can be malicious to destroy. So true is that of the Psalmist, The Lord on high is mightier then the noise of many waters: yea, then the mighty waves of the Sea, Psal. 93.4. In persecutionibus nemo cogitet quod periculum Diabolus importet, sed consideret quod [Page]auxilium Deus praestat, nec mentem labefactet humana infestatio, sed corrohoret fidem divina protectio. Consider not so much thy distresse, as thy deliverer, and when mens malicious combination may affright thee. let divine association support thee; the danger may exceed thy resistance, but not Gods assistance; the enemies power may surpasse thy strength, their subtlety out-wit thy prudence, but neither can excell the wisedom and might of God that is with thee. Oh learn, therefore, to try God in his strength, to trust him in difficulties, and when the mercilesse waves are ready to swallow thee, commit thy self to his custody. Mos est naucleri coelum aspicere. The Mariner in straights looks up to heaven, do thou so, and remember that when the waters are about thee, the Sunne shines upon thee.

But now (me thinks) the despairing soul replies, were I sure God was with me, I should not fear, but the clouds are so thick that I cannot see the Sun, my troubles so great that I cannot beleeve God is present. But stay thou drooping Saint and know

1. God may be with thee though thou seest him not, presumptuous sinners uhink God is near them when he is farre off, doubting Saints think God far off when he is nigh them. I remember Jacobs Speech, Surely God is in this place, and I know it not: and God may be with thee, though thou art not aware of it.

2. God is with his people divers waies, and though in one kinde he be absent, yet in another he may be present; if he be not with thee to remove the distresse, yet he may be with thee to support thy strength; though not to give outward deliverance, yet to afford inward comfort; though he doth not presently take away the burden from thy shoulders, yet if he enable thee with patience to bear it, and dependance to wait on him, it is an undoubted argument he is still with thee.

3. Gods with-drawments from his people in dangers, are rather seeming then reall; Deus suos non negligit, cum [Page]negligit: when God seems most to neglect his people, he doth not forsake them, and his end in withdrawing his sensible presence from them, is that they should run the more swiftly after him.

4. And lastly, though God with-draw for a time, yet he will return at last, For a small moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee; Isa. 54.2. saith the Lord thy Redeemer. I have read a story of a poor man that served God faithfully, and yet was opprest cruelly, having all his goods taken from him by an oppressing Knight, whereupon he perswaded himself that God was dead, but going about to make a funeral for his God, who had formerly been so faithfull to him, and now (as he thought) left him; an old man met him and desired him first to deliver a Letter unto the hands of his oppressor: upon receipt and perusall of which the Knight was so convinced, that immediatly he confest his fault, and restored the goods which made the poor man say, now I see God may seem to sleep, but can never die: with this meditation, comfort thy self, O Christian, in the saddest desertions, that though God in wisedom may for a time hide his face, yet at last he will in mercy lift up the light of his countenance upon thee to thy joy, and make bare the arm of his power for thy succour.

4. Since God will be with thee in the waters, do not forsake God for fear of the waters, let no tribulation make thee disclaim him who is ready to own thee, it is not seldom seen that persecution causeth men to forgo their profession, and which argues as little policy as piety for fear of a storm they run from their shelter: but why O man, dost thou by' indirect waies seek to save thy self, when by cleaving to God thou maist be sure of his defence? Oh remember that sacred Aphorism of Azariah to Asa and his people;2 Chro. 2.15. The Lord is with you, while you be with him, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you: let no distresse fright thee from God, and then no distresse shall keep God from thee.

5. What's the matter of Gods promise, let it be the subject of thy praier, and when the waters may encompasse [Page] thee, begge of God that he will be with thee: it is the efficacy of troubles that they drive us to prayer, and it is the excellency of prayer that it brings GOD to us: the truth is, God is never so farre off,Hos. 5.15. but he is within call, when God threatens to go and return to his place, it is but till they seek his face: oh, then by praier in all straits let us go to God, and God will come to us: so true is that of the Psalmist, The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth, Psal. 145.18. Indeed his own tender mercy is the impulsive cause, but our humble addresse is the procuring means of his gracious presence; neglect not then so facil a duty which will procure so needfull a mercy, and be sure in thy approaches to God that it be his face thou seek, before and above all other blessings, a carnall heart when under affliction only begges deliverance from trouble, and regards not the presence of God, his praier is that God would send help for him, he cares not whether he come to him or no; oh, let thy praiers flow from higher principles, beg the presence of his grace, and leave the disposall of thy deliverance to his wisedom, what our Saviour saith of the Kingdom of God, seek that first, and all these shall be added, that may I apply to the face of God, seek first his face and all other things that thy necessities call for, shall be conferred: only let me adde one word more, As thou cravest Gods presence with thee, put sin far from thee, distresse inviteth him to thee, but sin separates him from thee: let not any iniquity rule over thee, and then God will be with thee, nor shall any calamity prevail against thee.

To end this, we all either are or may be called to sail through the waters of tribulation, and surely what will be more fit then that, what God here promiseth, we should pray for; to beseech him, who of his great mercy did save Noah and his Family in the Ark from perishing by water, and did safely leade the Children of Israel through the Red Sea, that he would be pleased so to behold us with his favour, be with us by his grace, and refresh us with his presence, that we being rooted in faith, joyful [Page] through hope, and stedfast in patience, may so passe the waves of this troublesome would, as finally we may come to the land of everlasting life, where being exalted above all the waters of sorrow, and set down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, we may be with him, beholding his face in glory to all eternity.

And now to close up all in a literall application of this Scripture, to those who go down into the deep, and more especially to you my honoured Lord: being now to take a long voyage, and transplant your self with you fruitful Vine and Olive-plants, for a time into a farre Countrey. What God said to Abraham, Gen 12.1. he seems to say to you, Get thee out of thy Countrey▪ and from thy kindred, and from thy Fathers house to a Land that I will shew thee. The way you are to passe is through the great waters, and therefore cannot but be perilous. Anacharsis being asked in what number he should put those that went to Sea, whether among the living or the dead, was doubtfull, An inter vivos habendi, qui vitam undarum ac ventorum arbitrio commississent, whether they should be reckoned among the living who commit their lives to the mercy of windes and waves, he spake in that like an Heathen, Christians know better, who recommend themselves into the hands of God, that rules both, but however, Sea-voyages are doubtlesse attended with many dangers; it was a true saying of the same Philosopher, to which the Apostle alludeth, who being told the distance of the Ships deck from the water was four fingers, answered. Tantillum absunt a morte qui navigant, there is but so much space between death and Sea-men;Confisus ligno digiti à morte remotis, quatuor aut septem, Juven. indeed Souldiers in the Wars, and Passengers in the Sea, alwaies carry their lives in their hand, but yet this is not all, as your passage is dubious, so the place where you are to go probably dangerous; likely it is you may meet with difficulties at your ingresse, and being to live amongst, and converse with a barbarous people, troubles will renew themselves during your abode: so that having past through the waters in a literall sense, and come to land, you must still expect to pass through [Page] worse waters, I mean, the furious rage of unreasonable men. But let this golden word Emmanuel be your support; let that precious sentence, If God be for us who can be against us, be your continuall meditation; a Scripture, with which Maximilian the Emperor was so much in love, that he caused it to be wrought in Checquer-work upon his Table, let it rather be imprinted in your Honours breast to your solace and comfort. Your calling is just and full, having the stamp of Royal Majesty upon it, the consent of the honourable Senate to it, and the election of that worshipfull Society, whose affairs you are to manage, concurring with it. The Service you undertake is not only Lawful but Noble, to be an Embassadour from Englands Monarch for his Subjects Trade and Commerce with the Turkish Empire; and surely going about so needfull a work with so good a warrant, you need not doubt of the Almighties assistance to make the successe happy.

If then the parting with your Native soyl, neer allies, and familiar friends trouble you, remember when these are farre off, God is at hand. Is was the Psalmist comfort, When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will take me up, Psal. 27.10 give me leave with a little alteration and inversion to apply it for your encouragement, when you must leave mother, kindred and acquaintance, God will take you up, and stand by you.

If the peril of the Seas or storms affright you, ingage by faith and praier divine power to, and for you. It was the proud speech of Caesar to his Mariner, who was afraid in a desperate storm: Quid times? Caesarem vehis & fortunas ejus, Why dost thou fear? thou carriest Caesar and his fortunes with thee; with better confidence may your Honour say in the midst of a violent storm, Why should I despair who have God and his strength with me; it is observable of the Heathen, whithersoever they went they would still carry their gods with them, so Aeneas advised his father, ‘Tu genitor cape sacra manu patriosque penates.Virgil.’ A practice well befitting Christians to make choice of the [Page] true God for their convoy through the troublous Seas,Ps. 107.23, 24 They that go down into the deep (saith the Psalmist) see the wonders of the Lord, indeed, as he is mercifully present in all places, so he shews himself wonderfully present in the waters; there it is he ofttimes works potenter & patenter, with power and glory; so that the finger of a Deity evidently appears: of him it is that may be most truly affirmed which the Poets feign of Vlisses, that he carried the windes in his hand, and could command them at his pleasure, he can rebuke the stormy windes, still the raging of the waves, having in his hands as well the deprhs of the Sea, the windes of the air, as the corners of the earth.

Lastly, when the long inquity of the place, inhumanity of the people, whither, and among whom you are going may perplex you; think God saith to you, as in another case he did to Jacob, Fear not, I will go down with thee into Egypt, his power, prudence,Gen. 46.4. and providence shall stand by you to remove all difficulties, and prevent all designs, he will command his Angels to pitch their tents about you, and keep you in all his waies.

I end my consolation from God to you with an invocation on God for you, that your egresse may be cheerful, your progresse successeful, your regresse joyful. When you put forth to Sea, may the Almighty be with you, and shut you into the ship,Gen. 7.16, 17. as he did Noah with his family into the Ark, to save you from the raging waters. When you shall arrive safe at your desired haven,Gen. 39.24. May the Omnipotent be with you as he was with Joseph, shew you mercy, and give you favour in the sight of all with whom you shall have to do. And when the appointed time of your return shall come, may the same powerful presence still accompany you as it did Jacob in his return from Padan Aram, Gen. 28.20.33.20. that you may come again with your dearest Consort and children, to your fathers house in peace, and there build an Altar to the God of your mercies.

FINIS.

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§

§

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[Page]

THE SAFEST CONVOY, Or, the Strongest HELPER.

Declared in a Valedictory SERMON, Before the Right Honourable Sr THOMAS BENDISH Baronet, His Majesties Ambassadour, now resident with the Grand Seigneur at Constantinople.

Delivered in Dionis Back-Church, By NATHANAELL HARDY, Preacher to that Parish.

They shall fight against thee, but they shall not prevail against thee, for I am with with thee, saith the Lord, to deliver thee,

Jer. 1.19.

And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest,

Exo. 33.15.

Non plus valet ad deijciendum terrena poena, quàm ad erigendum divina tutela,

Cyp.

Ad omnem tribulationem, ad omnem cujuscun (que) modi necessitatem aperta nobis urbs confugii, sinus matris expansus est, parata sunt foramina petrae, patent viscera misericordiae Dei nostri,

Bern.

LONDON, Printed for Nathanael Web, and William Grantham, at the Sign of the Black Bear in Pauls Church-yard, near the Little North-door, 1653.

TO The Right Honorable Sir Thomas Bendish Baronet, His Majesties Ambassadour, resident with the Grand Seigneur at Constantinople. & TO The right Vertuous and most worthy Lady, the Lady Anne Bendish, his affectionate Consort.
Encrease of Grace, Length of daies, and Eternity of Glory.

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§

My Lord,

THat abundant experience you have had of Divine protection, is no small cause both to you of gratulation, and your friends of congratulation.

Had it not been the Lord who was on my side (may your Honour now say) Had it not been the Lord who was on my side, the waters had overwhelmed me, and the proud waves had gone over my soul. There [Page] needed no more, and it could be no lesse then a powerfull providence which hath made your passage prosperous, and settlement glorious.

How truly then may you take up that expression of holy Job, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ears, but now mine eyes seeth thee, Since that amiable promise of Gods favourable presence with his people, which you heard with comfort imperfectly explained in this Sermon, you have seen with joy fully accomplished in your own experience: and I doubt not but you say to God with adoration in words, not much unlike those the Queen of Sheba spake to Solomon with admiration, The one half of the goodnesse of thy presence, O Lord, was not told me, so far doe all verball Discoveries come short of Gods reall manifestations.

And surely what should move your Lordship to desire a representation of this weak Discourse I know not, unless that you might see how that Doctrine which is here darkly [Page] illustrated, hath been to you superabundantly verified.

I little thought such an unpolished piece should ever have been exposed to publike view; but Gratitude hath taught me rather to undergoe the Worlds harsh censure, then incur your Lordships just displeasure.

And indeed, though it greatly troubleth me that in publishing these rude notes I must set forth my ignorance, yet withall it much rejoyceth me that I have an opportunity by these lines to acknowledge your Muneficence. What a bountifull Mecaenas your Honour hath ever been to the Tribe of Levi, those who have had the happinesse of your acquaintnnce, and my self the meanest among them, cannot but testifie with gratefullnesse: But I well know you love not that either your vertues or favours should be openly proclaimed, and like the fixed stars, the higher God hath set you, the lesse you desire to seem. I shall therefore turn Praises into Praiers, and [Page] endeavour to pay my manifold obligations to you, in devout supplications for you.

May that gracious presence of the Almighty, which hath hitherto gone before you, still accompany you, to make your troubles few, comforts many, abode quiet, return safe, life long, death happy, election sure, and salvation certain. For all which he shall still implore the Throne of Grace, who is,

§

Madam,

YOur goodnesse accepted this Sermon from the Pulpit, and your pleasure hath now commanded it to the Presse; as being desirous often to view, with a Religious eye, what once you heard with a reverend ear; such as it is I here humbly tender to your Ladiships acceptance.

The box indeed is mean, but the Jewell precious; the [Page] fashion homely, but the stuffe rich; the chest iron, but the treasure gold: The manner of handling plain and despicable, but the matter therein contained Divine and comfortable.

The truth is, the most reviving Cordiall to a fainting spirit, and effectual Antidote against the deadliest afflictions, is the operative presence of a propitious God. It is onely the assurance of Divine favour towards us, can sweeten every condition to us; and as the observing eye of an Omni-present God is a just Ground if awfull reverence, so the preserving aspect of an Omnipotent Father, is a sure foundation of a joyfull confidence.

A familiar Demonstration of this Doctrine is the subject of this ensuing Discourse, the sight whereof I am confident was so much the more desired by and will be welcome to you, by how much your own observation [Page] can plentifully attest its undoubted veritie.

Indeed though faith must beleeve above, nay, against sense: yet sense is a singular support of faith. Divine Promises are then most plainly understood, stedfastly beleeved, and joyfully perused, when we have beheld them graciously fullfilled.

May your joyous experiments of the Almighties presence with and for you, be still multiplied: your pious Assurances of his Favour be more enlarged, and by the casting in of this mite into your Spirituall Treasury, a further addition to your comforts be vouchsafed.

What a sweet odour your Honours vertues have left behinde you, I must passe over in silence, as knowing, your discreet Zeal, sincere piety, courteous affability, and benign charity, are all crowned with that modest humility, which will not endure a Publication.

[Page]How much I am your Ladyships debtor by those liberall respects your favor hath cast upon me, my slender Quill cannot expresse. All the return I shall or can render is, first to make mention of you and yours in my Praiers to God, next to engrave your beneficence in the Table of a thankful memory; and withall in real complement to subscribe my self,

Your Honours greatly obliged, and humbly devoted Servant, NATHANAELL HARDY.

Information about this book

Title statement

The safest convoy, or, The strongest helper declared in a valedictory sermon before the Right Honourable Sr. Thomas Bendish, Baronet, His Majesties ambassadour ... / deliverd by Nathanaell Hardy.

Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670.

Edition statement

1653

Publication

Publisher

Text Creation Partnership,

Place of publication

Ann Arbor, MI ; Oxford (UK) :

Date

2008-09 (EEBO-TCP Phase 1).

ID [DLPS]

A45566

ID [STC]

Wing H746

ID [STC]

ESTC R28060

ID [EEBO-CITATION]

10334390

ID [OCLC]

ocm 10334390

ID [VID]

44918

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This keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above is co-owned by the institutions providing financial support to the Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership. This Phase I text is available for reuse, according to the terms of Creative Commons 0 1.0 Universal. The text can be copied, modified, distributed and performed, even for commercial purposes, all without asking permission.

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Early English books online.

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(EEBO-TCP ; phase 1, no. A45566)

Transcribed from: (Early English Books Online ; image set 44918)

Images scanned from microfilm: (Early English books, 1641-1700 ; 1385:25)

Source

— The safest convoy, or, The strongest helper declared in a valedictory sermon before the Right Honourable Sr. Thomas Bendish, Baronet, His Majesties ambassadour ... / deliverd by Nathanaell Hardy., Hardy, Nathaniel, 1618-1670..

Extent

[4], 26 p.

Printed for Nathanael Web and William Grantham,. London :: 1653.. (Reproduction of original in the Union Theological Seminary Library, New York.)

Creation

Created by converting TCP files to TEI P5 using tcp2tei.xsl, TEI @ Oxford.

Editorial practices

EEBO-TCP is a partnership between the Universities of Michigan and Oxford and the publisher ProQuest to create accurately transcribed and encoded texts based on the image sets published by ProQuest via their Early English Books Online (EEBO) database (http://eebo.chadwyck.com). The general aim of EEBO-TCP is to encode one copy (usually the first edition) of every monographic English-language title published between 1473 and 1700 available in EEBO.

EEBO-TCP aimed to produce large quantities of textual data within the usual project restraints of time and funding, and therefore chose to create diplomatic transcriptions (as opposed to critical editions) with light-touch, mainly structural encoding based on the Text Encoding Initiative (http://www.tei-c.org).

The EEBO-TCP project was divided into two phases. The 25,363 texts created during Phase 1 of the project have been released into the public domain as of 1 January 2015. Anyone can now take and use these texts for their own purposes, but we respectfully request that due credit and attribution is given to their original source.

Users should be aware of the process of creating the TCP texts, and therefore of any assumptions that can be made about the data.

Text selection was based on the New Cambridge Bibliography of English Literature (NCBEL). If an author (or for an anonymous work, the title) appears in NCBEL, then their works are eligible for inclusion. Selection was intended to range over a wide variety of subject areas, to reflect the true nature of the print record of the period. In general, first editions of a works in English were prioritized, although there are a number of works in other languages, notably Latin and Welsh, included and sometimes a second or later edition of a work was chosen if there was a compelling reason to do so.

Image sets were sent to external keying companies for transcription and basic encoding. Quality assurance was then carried out by editorial teams in Oxford and Michigan. 5% (or 5 pages, whichever is the greater) of each text was proofread for accuracy and those which did not meet QA standards were returned to the keyers to be redone. After proofreading, the encoding was enhanced and/or corrected and characters marked as illegible were corrected where possible up to a limit of 100 instances per text. Any remaining illegibles were encoded as <gap>s. Understanding these processes should make clear that, while the overall quality of TCP data is very good, some errors will remain and some readable characters will be marked as illegible. Users should bear in mind that in all likelihood such instances will never have been looked at by a TCP editor.

The texts were encoded and linked to page images in accordance with level 4 of the TEI in Libraries guidelines.

Copies of the texts have been issued variously as SGML (TCP schema; ASCII text with mnemonic sdata character entities); displayable XML (TCP schema; characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or text strings within braces); or lossless XML (TEI P5, characters represented either as UTF-8 Unicode or TEI g elements).

Keying and markup guidelines are available at the Text Creation Partnership web site.