WE may through all the Course of Holy Scripture, plainly behold that when the Almighty design­ed to work [...] a Deliverance to his People, he made them sensible that it was not so much the Arms of Flesh, as his immediat Power that sav [...] them. The Israelites at the time that God raised up Gideon the Son of Joash, to be an In­strument in his Hand of saving them, were oppressed by the [Page] [Page 1] [...] [Page 2] Midianites and Amalekites, a cruel and wastful People that spared no Means that Force or Fraud could invent to vex them, and lay their Countrey Desolate, to draw them away to Idolatry, and the Worship o [...] strange Gods, which their Fathers had not known; and least they should seem to attri­bute the Victory to multitudes, and not give the sole Glory to the God of Battles; This great Captain had an express Com­mand, to try first their Courage and Resolution, and after that proving too many, they were selected at the Water-Brook, where three hundred only were chosen, and with that small number, the mighty Army was overthown, destroyed, brok­en, and con [...]ounded at first onset by the breaking of Pitchers, and sounding of Trumpets, and crying, The Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon, Judges 7. 20. Let but the Lord arise, (sayes Holy David) and his enemies shall be scattered: (And again) God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble: Therefore will we not fear though the earth be moved, and though the Mountains be carried into the midst of the Sea; Though the Waters thereof roar, and be troubled, Psas. 46. 1, 2, 3. We find that when Samaria was Besieged, and even Fa­mine raged in the City to a Degree, that a Woman was forc­ed to eat the fru [...]ts o [...] her Womb, when all visible Means fail­ed, and an Insulting Enemy every day expected to enter the City, and bring it to a final Desolation; that only a no [...]se be­ing heard in the Hills and Mountains, raised the Siege, and gave abundance of plenty to the Besieged, according as the Prophet had foretold. And Senacheribs Host trusting in the Arm of Flesh, and the multitude of Horses and Chariots, found them­selves insensibly Defeated by the Revenging Sword of the De­stroying Angel, falling dead, by the mighty stroak of an In­visible Power, whose Force they felt, but knew no way to resist, or fly from, till 80000 of them were scatter'd in the Cha [...]ns of Death. And upon consideration of these, and the like Deliverances, Holy David says, to comfort himself, and [Page 3] his People, viz. The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our Refuge; come, behold the Work of the Lord, what desolation he hath made in the earth, he maketh Wars to cease unto the end of the earth, he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder, and bur­neth the Chariot with fire: Be still, and know that I am God, I will be exalted amongst the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of Hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our refuge, Psal. 46. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. For although God makes Man for the most part the Instrument in his hand, the more v [...]sibly to bring about his purposes; yet without the Operation of Almigh­ty Power and Wisdom, Mens Devices are brought to nought, for here we find, that when Gideon came to behold the Camp of the enemy, The Midianites, and Amalekites, and all the Children of the H [...]st lay along in the Valley like Grashoppers for mul­titude, and their Camels were without number, as the Sand of the Sea, Judges 7. 12. Yet this great Army that had so long been the wast [...]ul Terrour of the Countrey, was put into such a fear at the cry of the Sword of the Lord, and Gideon, that they were utterly confounded, and knew not what they did; for as we find it in vers. 21, 22. of the [...]oregoing Chap­ter, viz. And they stood every man in his place round about the Camp, and all the Host ran, and cryed, and fled, and the three hundred blew the Trumpets, and the Lord set every mans Sword against his fellow, even throughout all the Host, and the Host fled, &c. By this we may see, it was more through Fear and Distraction they were broken, than through any slaughter the three hundred Israelites were capable of making amongst so great a Company of men, David incouraged by God, pursu­ed the Amalekites that burnt Ziklag, and with four hundred Men fell upon those that had taken the spoil, and with four hundred Men Defeated their great Army, recovering what ever had been taken away. Barach and Deborah Defeated Ja­bin's great Host, Destroying it together with Sisera its Cap­tain, who fell in Jael's Tent. Sampson with his single Arm, [Page 4] routed at sundry times, the Powers of the Philistines; so that we see that God confounds strength with weakness, fo [...] when men presume too much on the Arm of Flesh, they [...]quently deceive themselves▪ and in the m [...]st of their security are o­verthrown: Therefore let a good Christian consider that his strength is in the Lord, and [...] God be on his side, he need not be afraid, th [...]ugh danger beset him round about; but be com­forted, an [...] ma [...]e v [...]liant by the words of the Kingly Pro­phet, viz. The Lord is my light, and my salvation, whom s [...]all I fear▪ the Lord is the [...]trength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid▪ When the wicked, even mine enemies, and my foes came up [...]n me to eat up my flesh, they s [...]umbled and fell: Thou [...]h an Hos [...] sh [...]uld en [...]amp against me, m [...] heart shall not fear, though War shall arise again [...] me, in this will I be confident, Psal. 27. 1, 2, 3. This ought to be the confidence, and cou­ragious resolution of every Christan, especi [...]l [...]y Soldiers▪ who carry their Lives in their hands, and are said to live on the brink o [...] the Grave. Above all [...]n a good Cause, and the De­fence of the Sacred Truth, when their Religion is in danger, and the Enemy seeks not to gain a Dominion over their Bodies, but over their Souls, to obscure the Light of the Gospel, and Cloud a K [...]ngdom in Darknesse and Ignorance: Let them take Example by the Valiant Maccabees, who when they beheld their Holy Things Prophaned and Trampled unde [...] Foot by an idolatrous People, their Alter po [...]luted, and their Sanctuaries in danger to be defiled; they took up the Sword of Gi [...]eon, and stood more for their Religion than for their Lives, no [...] was the Sword of the Lo [...]d wanting to give them success over the [...]r Enemies, and to Redeem their Blee [...]ng Count [...]ey from the Distraction and Desolation it groaned un­der; no [...] may we spare to come nea [...]er home, and find in­numerable insta [...]ces of God's ra [...]sing up Gideons to save these K [...] [...]t only from B [...]b [...]o [...] N [...]t [...]o [...] who [...] [...]arly [...] invaded them▪ but from a Papal Tyranny, from Plots [Page 5] and Conspiracies, that have laboured to make their glory set in [...]lood and Ruine. Henry the Eight was raised up to scat­ter the Midianites, and Amalekites of Rome, whose Idol [...]tries and Superstitions had inf [...]cted our Israel, and whose Pride and Luxury had laid waste their pleasant places, and destroyed the good things of the Land: This, I say, is the Sword of the Lord, and of Gideon, for God made this Prince an Instru­ment in his hand: This was the Lord's doings, and it is mar­velous in our Eyes; and in the next place, he raised up a good Josia in the person of Edward the Sixth, and under him, gave us the Purity and Light of the Gospel, in its primitive Lustre, brighter than the Morning Star, and though after the death of this good Prince, he witheld his Sword, and suffered us to be crushed under the merciless hands of our enemies; yet the Bloody Reign of of Q. Mary once over, wherein our Adver­saries displayed themselves in their true Colours, feasting Flames with Martyrs precious Blood, at such a Riotous profuseness, as no Barbarous Nation had equalled, he heard the Groans of his suffering people, and sent us a deliverance, The Sword of the L [...]rd, and [...]f Gideon, was again on our side, as appeard in the Reign of Queen Elizabeth, who was valiant for the Truth, and in spite of all the Conspiracies, to raise a Rebellion, or bring her to an untimely end, by Poyson, Daggers, and many pernicious Devices; she stood the Gideon, or Deborah of our Land, and though Spain fill'd the Seas with floating Castles to destroy this flourishing Kingdom, yet the Almighty by a small number manifestly bared his Arm to save us, and ruine those that were too confident in the Arm of Flesh, not only destroying that huge Arm [...]d [...], but routing such Forces, as the Spaniards sent into Ireland, to assist the Bloody Irish Papists, in Rebellion against their lawful Soveraign, comitting such Cruelties as are too tedi­ous here to mention; and although in the frustration of their Plo [...]s and Devices, they might well have perceived the Immedi­at hand of Heaven, protecting this great and prosperous Queen; [Page 6] yet so far were they infatuated, or transported with inseperable Malice and Revenge, that though their Attempts cost many of them their lives, yet no sooner was the wise Protestant Prince King James the first advanced to the Throne, but they went to exalt him in a blast to the Skies, had not their Powder-Plot been dis­covered by the Divine Hand of Providence, who blasted it; all which well considered, may make us confess with the Roy­al Prophet, viz. We have thought of thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst of thy Temple, according to thy Name, O God, so [...]s thy praise unto the ends of the earth; thy right hand is full of righte­ousness: Let Mount Sion rejoyce, let the Daughter of Juda be glad, because of thy Judgment, Psal. 49. verse 9. 10. 11.

And now not without Tears of Compassion, we cannot but reflect on the Popish Cruelty in the poor Kingdom of Ireland; in the Reign of King Charles the first, Anno 1641. when with­out any provocation, Armed with Hellish [...]age, and the na­tural Cruelty of a Papist, they by inhumane Torments, Mas­sacred no less than 200000 English Protestants, of all Ages and Sex; insomuch that the Dead Bodies not being suffered by the Priests to be buried; Created a Contagion, and in some measure took revenge on the Murtherers; and what can we think? but at this day a Papist is a Papist still, where even the Principle of Religion instills a kind of Fiercenes [...] and B [...]rbari­ty into their Nature: Nay, if we reflect, what in a few Mo­neths they have done, what better can be expected, if we con­sider the Spoil, Plunder, Ravagements, and Desolations the French and Irish in Arms have made, regarding neither Oaths Promises, nor nearness of Relation; with a desire utterly to Root the English out of the Kingdom, with a further desig [...] of carrying on their Mischievous Enterprizes against the Pr [...] testant Religion; In general, it is time for Protestants to becom [...] Valiant for the Truth, and bold as Lyons, not only for the [...] Religion, but temporal Interest; the preservation of thei [...] Wives and Children, from Murthers, Rapes, and Deflowrings, [Page 7] and all manner of Violence and Wickedness: to stand as Bulwarks against the Rapid Innundation of Antichristian Ty­ranny. Let us consider that the Fowls of the Air, and the Beasts of the Forrest, stand in the defence of their own lives, and the lives of their young Ones, with such Weapons as Nature has afforded them: And shall not men in such a case pluck up their Spirits, and redouble their Courage, since the Almighty has of late been so favourable in giving us, even by Miracle, a Protestant King and Queen to sit upon the Throne, and so great a Prospect of a through deliverance; we are here Members of the Church Militant: Let us not be ashamed, or afraid of our profession, when maintaining our Christi­an Warefare in a good Conscience, and a just Cause, we make our way to the Church which is Triumphant, where God shall wipe away all Tears from our Eyes, And there shall be no more Death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things pass away, Revel. 21, 4. Though never so many Storms and Tempests threaten; yet a good Christian ought not to be dismayed, though in a time, even when danger does beset them: yet it is required, they should humble themselves before their Mak­er, and Rely on him, who is able to save to the utmost, all that trust in him: For indeed, Sin is that which provokes him to with-hold his mercy, and bring calamities on Nations, & King­doms, it was always well with the seed of Jacob, when they clave fast to the Rock of their Salvation; but when they grew Regardless, he gave them up to the oppressing Nations, who grieved his chosen Heritage; for as 'tis said Psal. 18. ver. 25, 26, 27. viz. With the Merciful, thou wilt shew thy self Merciful; and with an upright man thou wilt shew thy self upright; with the pure, thou wilt shew thy self pure; with the froward, thou wilt shew thy self froward: For thou wilt save the afflicted peo­ple, but wilt bring down high looks. Niniveh humbling her selt in Sackcloath and Ashes before the Lord, was saved from impen­dent [Page 8] Wrath, when stubborn Sodom, and Impenitent Gom [...]rah sunk in Sulpherous fire; let us turn then to the Lord with our whole hearts, and sing praise unto our deliverer, that our Ene­mies, and all those that seek to hurt us, may fall before us: 'Tis a good Conscience, and an assurance in Gods mercy's that makes men valiant; Abraham on this score pursued the Kings, [...]nd re­scued his Brother Lot, &c. out of their hands: David in this assurance undauntedly marched against the mighty Champion of the Philistines; and with inconsiderable Weapons, as know­ing God saves neither by Spear nor Shield, no more than by weak means, when he resolves to manifest his power, or in­tends to save, he overcame the man that had so long defied the Armies of Israel: For when the great Jehovah was d [...]signed to show his last Judgment upon Pharach, and his pursuing Host in the Red Sea, and Israel cryed cut for fear, they were only com­manded to stand still, and see the Salvation of the Lord, and they even without contributing any help of their own, found them­selves not only secured from the danger they feared, and a little before had threatned them, but saw their desire upon their E­nemies; the Element heard the voice of its Creator, and re­turned with violence to let the stubborn Monarch know, that the highest Rules in the Kingdoms of men, in whose hands are all the Kingdoms of the Earth, and all the breath of life. There is a Sword of the Lord, and a Sword of Man; against the first there is no prevailing, but the latter is weak, i [...] the first be wanting: God if he pleases can arm all the Elements to fight for his Servants, as he did the Hail in the time of Joshua by which there fell more than by the Swords of the Israe­lites; or inclose his people with Fiery Camps of Armed Angels, as he did Elisha, when his life was sought for by the Assyrians. Trust in the Lord, and he will be to his Servants a Wa [...]l of De­fence, and a strong Tower, a Buckler, a Shield, and a migh­ty Deliverer; who has power to do what he please [...], in Heaven and Earth, whose Will is Fate, and whose Decrees are irre­sistable [Page 9] and irreversable: Let us but call upon him sincere­ly, with a true heart, and unseigned lips, and he will hear us, and deliver us out of all our trouble: Let us not then be afraid of their terrour that seek to harm us, but assuredly rest secure in his protection, whose mercies are over all the works of his Creation, and he will keep us from the Arrows that fly by Night, and the Shafts, though go abroad by day, the Adver­sary shall have no advantage over us: Therefore let us acquit our selves like men, and not faint, or grow weary: Let fear fly our Breasts, and let us Arm our selves with Courage in a good Cause; and consider that the God of Battels, the Lord of Hosts is the disposer of all things, and if the Lord be with us, who shall be against us, and prosper? for there is a Sword of the Lord and a Sword of Gideon.

Thus by extraordinary means does the Almighty save, when he bares his Arm to make his power known to the Sons of Men; then happy are all they that trust in him, for they shall never be confounded, their Enemies shall come out one way, and flee seven; the Lord shall draw a Sword after them, and they shall be scattered, even from Heaven shall they be discomfited, and scattered o're the face of the earth, as in Judges 3. 2. They fought from Heaven, the Stars in their courses fought against Sisera. If Heaven be on our side, in vain is the Combination of man, for who is able to stand before that mighty God, whose very looks drieth up the deep, and whose wrath maketh the Mountains to melt, before whose Majesty Job confesseth himself to fail and tremble, like one in a stormy Tempest, and that his fear was so great, that he was not able to bear it; nor (can his hand be shortened, that he will not save those that stand for his truth; suce as are valiant for the promotion of God's honour, are said to fight the Lords Battel; that is, he owns them to be his Soul­diers, and he puts power and strength into their hands, as he did into his Servant Joshua's, when he made the Heavenly Bodies, [Page 10] contrary to the course of nature, obey a Mortal Voice, the Sun and Moon stood still till his people had accomplished their de­sire upon their Enemies, as we find it in Joshua 10. 13. And when Moses held but up his hand, the Israelites prevailed, for there is nothing too hard for the Lord, when he designs to bring about his purposes: I called on the Lord in my distress (says holy David) the Lord answered me, and set me in a large place; the Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do un­to me: The Lord taketh my part with them that help me, therefore shall I see my desire upon them that hate me; it is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in Princes; all Nations compassed me about, but in the Name of the Lord will I destroy them, Psal. 118▪ v. 5, 6, 7 8▪ 9, 10. Thus we may behold, how a good Cause puts life into the Soul, and makes the Spirit rise to the extream­est height of valour, banishing the image of fear, by a confi­dent assurance of success, makes Men bold as Lyons, and un­wary in their undertakings. This made Nehemiah couragious for the House of God, and for his Sanctuary, when he caused the very Work-men to arm at their labour, having their Swords in their hands, even whilst they were building, and repairing the City of Jerusalem, to prevent and repel their treacherous Enemies, who sought always to surprize and bring them to de­struction; Let us take Courage then, and faint not, but acquit your selves like men.