HE, that is, God, of whom we have express mention in the 8th Verse of this Chapter, I would seek unto God, saith Eliphaz to Job, and unto God would [Page 4]I commit my cause, and then, having spo­ken very great things of God in the 9, 10, and 11 Verses, he goeth on to set forth his Praise, in these Words of my Text; He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, &c.

The word, which we here render craf­ty, is us'd in a double sense in Scripture, sometimes in a good, but most commonly in a bad one. In the 12th Chap. of Prov. v. 23. and in other places of that Book it is Translated prudent: but generally it stands to denote such as are wickedly cun­ning; as in the 83d Psal. v. the 3d, They have taken crafty counsel against thy People; wickedly crafty no doubt, since it was a­gainst the People of God; and in the same sense you may meet with it, in se­veral other places of Holy Writ. And that this sense, tho' a very bad one, be­longs to the crafty in my Text, seems to me to be very plain from their being represented there as Enemies to God, as such whose devices he would disap­point; [Page 5]And, in this opinion I am far­ther confirm'd by the Vulgar Latin, which renders the Word, which we here Tran­slate crafty, Maligm wicked or malicious.

This then I take to be the meaning of my Text, that, with how much art and subtilty soever wicked Men may lay their plots and ill designs, there is a God, who both can, and frequently doth disappoint and baffle them, make them vain, and of none effect. Psal. 33.10.

That God can do this will be deny'd by none who Believe a God, an Omnisci­ent and Omnipotent God; and that he actually doth it, by none that own his Providence; and I hope I speak to such only at present, as do both. I shall not therefore spend any time needlesly, in the proof of a truth, which I look upon here as granted; but immediately pro­ceed to make the best use and improve­ment I can of it, with respect to the de­sign of our present Meeting.

And, in order to this, I will endeavour, in my following Discourse,

First. To show how, and in what ca­ses we may reasonably suppose the disap­pointments of crafty Mens devices to be from God. And from hence,

Secondly. To make you sensible, how eminently God's Hand appear'd in those Deliverances of this Nation, from the devices of crafty Men, which we this Day Commemorate. And then

Thirdly and Lastly, conclude with some Practical Inferences from the Whole.

I First. I am to show how, and in what cases we may reasonably suppose the dis­appointments of crafty Mens devices to be from God; from him I mean, not as the common effects of his Ordinary Pro­vidence, for in this sense all events what­soever must necessarily be acknowledg'd to come from him: but as the Extraor­dinary Effects of his particular and spe­cial Providence, as his own more imme­diate and proper doing. And here I shall [Page 7]not insist upon those which are plainly Miraculous, that is, either above or con­trary to Nature, because these are allow'd on all hands to belong to God; but on such only, as either visibly are the immediate effects of Natural Causes, or at least are capable of being ascrib'd to them: and being so, make it difficult to determine, when they are, or are not the effects of nature, when of nature proceeding in her common course, and when of nature, in a more than usual manner, influenc'd and directed by God. Now though it is ab­solutely impossible, in such a nice case as this, full of perplexity and variety, to lay down such perfect and exact Rules, as shall clearly and effectually reach and decide all questions about this matter: yet we may certainly go a great way to­wards it, if we heedfully observe these which follow.

First then, when a disappointment shall be brought about, in a way, though not miraculous, yet evidently strange, [Page 8]surprizing and unusual, we ought in rea­son to place this to God's account. Thus, for example, when those very means, by which crafty Men intend to accomplish their designs, shall defeat and blast them; when those, that are engag'd in a bad cause, shall all on a sudden be struck with a pa­nick fear, and forsake the defence of it; when a considerable number of Conspi­ators, all Men of art and contrivance, shall neglect to make provision against their Discovery, in some very plain and obvious case, and thereby spoil their whole Plot; when a man, of notoriously lewd and wicked principles, shall in an instant become scrupulous, and think himself oblig'd in Conscience to reveal his ungodly devices, and his accomplices in them, and by so doing destroy a very hopeful design. In these and many other such like cases, of which we want not in­stances in History, I dare appeal to any man of sense, whither it is not more a­greeable to reason to ascribe such disap­pointments [Page 9]to God:Job 5.9. who doth marvellous things without number: Psal. 14.6.9. who turneth the way of the wicked upside down: by whom sinners are made afraid, Isa. 33.14. Job 12.17. Prov. 21.1. and Hypocrites surpriz'd with fearfulness: who leadeth Counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the Judges fools: and who turneth the heart of Man which way soever he pleaseth than merely because there is a Simple possibility, not a Mo­ral one, of their being the events of natu­ral chance, to force them upon her.

Secondly. The Hand of God is appa­rently visible in those Disappointments, which involve Men either in those very Mischiefs, which they had prepared for others, or at least in others, for their grievousness and soreness not unlike them.Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 9. cap. 9. As when Maxentius not only fail'd of his design against Constantines Life, but perish'd by that very same de­ceitful Bridge, which he had laid for him; as when a parcel of base and inhuman Traytours, that Plot and Contrive how [Page 10]they may take away their Prince's Life, not only are defeated in their Purposes, but are brought to a scandalous and mi­serable end themselves; This plainly seems to be the doing of him, who delights to recompense Men according to their deeds, Jer. 25.14. and to make the Mischief of the Wicked return upon their own heads, Ps. 7.16. and their vio­lent dealings come down upon their own pates.

Thirdly. When the Devices of wicked Men shall luckily meet with a disap­pointment, just at that very time, when they are ripe and ready for execution, this is another very probable sign of its being from God.Judit. 9.11. For he is a God of the afflicted, and helper of the oppressed, an upholder of the weak, a Protector of the forlorn, a Saviour of such as are without hope. He can indeed, if he thinks fit, confound and baffle Mens de­vices, even in the very beginning of them: but he seems oftentimes to suffer them to thrive and prosper for a while, purely for [Page 11]this end, that he may dash them, in the very critical moment, when they think themselves infallibly secure of their en­terprize: and by administring such wise and seasonable relief to his servants, take away from them even all pretences of as­cribing it to blind and undesigning chance.

Fourthly. When good Men, at the ve­ry time of their Praying for their Ene­mies disappointment, shall obtain their desire; there can be no doubt then who it is that grants it. Thus when the Ene­mies of Theodosius were disappointed in their Designs of routing him intirely,Socrat. Scholast. Eccl. Hist. l. 5. cap. xxv. by a Tempestuous Wind, which arose im­mediately, upon his supplicating God for Aid, and fought so strongly against his Enemies, as to change the Face of the Day, and give him, who but just before was declining apace, at first an eminent Advantage, and at last a Compleat Victo­ry over his Enemies: To what cause shall [Page 12]we ascribe this Disappointment? Shall we say, that Fortune heard his Prayer, and came to his Relief? alas! she is deaf and cannot hear, or, if she could, cannot hasten her pace one jot. Or shall we say, that she luckily happen'd to come, with­out design, just as he was Praying, and so made her deliverance look like an An­swer to his Prayers? this is highly im­probable; but it is more than probable, that it came from him who heareth pray­er, Psal. 65.2. Ps. 148.8. who helpeth his servants when they cry unto him, and can make even Winds and Storms fulfil his Word.

Fifthly. When a great number of un­expected accidents shall, as it were, con­spire to begin, carry on, and at last con­summate any notable disappointment, as in the case of Haman, Esther, c. 5, 6, 7, 8. who was defeated in his purposes against Mordecai and the Jews, by many strange and unaccounta­ble accidents meeting together, as you may read in his Story; in such a case [Page 13]there seems to be too much art and con­trivance for Fortune to lay a Claim or Title to. She may indeed possibly, now and then, by the casual concurrence of two or three happy accidents, get the praise of a lucky hit; but, that she should bring any long train of accidents toge­ther, which shall all serve to promote and farther the same end, is very hard to be believ'd by us, who know her variableness and uncertainty. And to whom then can such disappointments as these be attribu­ted? To whom, but him, who has the Management and Superintendency of all Accidents, and therefore can Connect and Range them together in such an useful order, that, for a considerable time toge­ther, they shall all, without interruption, be subordinate and helpful to each o­ther.

But I forbear being too particular, least I should be tedious.

Lastly then, let it suffice to observe, once for all, that, when-ever there are a­ny extraordinary instances of Power, Wisdom and Goodness, visible in the dis­appointments of Wicked Mens Designs, they ought then to be look'd upon, as God's special doing. For where shall we expect to see God, if not there, where his Attributes appear in a more than ordina­ry Lustre and Brightness, and do, as it were, call us to him? Where shall we ac­knowledge his special and immediate pre­sence, if not there, where we cannot, with­out a manifest contempt of his honour, deny it?

When therefore any Plot or Design, that has been laid with all the Art and Contrivance of Human Policy, and for­tify'd with all the Power of Human Strength, so that it seems to Men Infalli­ble, and absolutely uncapable of being de­feated, shall, after all, miscarry, and come to nothing; then are we in reason bound to say, Behold he that is Mighty in [Page 15]strength and Wisedom hath done this, yea,Job 36.5. Psal. 67.11. Prov. 8.14. the Arm of him, to whom Power belong­eth, and the Counsel of him, who is Un­derstanding, hath brought it to pass.

And to the same Authour ought we to ascribe those disappointments, by which and very signal and eminent good is ob­tain'd; as the releif of the oppressed, the help­ing them to right that suffer wrong, the pre­servation of the publick Peace of a Nati­on, the saving a whole Kingdom from ruine and the like. These are great and noble ends, worthy the care and Pro­vidence of God, and moreover such as, he himself has assur'd us, he delights to farther and promote. And therefore there can be do doubt, but that, when disap­pointments evidently tend to such ends as these, God has more then a little share in the management and ordering of them.

But there are three cases more especial­ly, in which we should be very careful to give God the glory of the disappoint­ment [Page 16]of wicked Mens devices, and those are, when they are levell'd against his Church, his Anointed, and his peculiar People. He has so frequently, both in words and actions, declar'd himself to be in an especial and extraordinary manner, the Protector and Guardian of these, that we cannot without Impiety suppose any weapon form'd against them [...]hould be made unprosperous, without his par­ticular direction; we cannot without a kind of Sacrilege, ascribe the good that befalls these, to any other cause, than that Providence, which is always watching over them for their Good.

These are all the signes, that I can at present think off, whereby we may know the disappointments of crafty Mens De­vices to be from God. And, by the help of these, I hope I shall find it an easie matter,

Secondly. To make you sensible how eminently God's hath appear'd in those [Page 17]Deliverances of this Nation, from the De­vices of crafty Men, which we this day Commemorate. Deliverances I say, for they are double; our Ears have been pleas'd with the Story of the one, and our Eyes bless'd with the Sight of the other, and even at this day we feel and enjoy the happy effects of both. Happy effects in­deed! even our Laws, our Liberties, our Properties, our Lives, and, what is still a­bundantly dearer to us, than all these, our Religion.

If we look back to the days of old, what a glorious and surprizing scene of Providence may we there view. Have not our Fathers told us, what, a crafty race of Men, crafty even in the worst of senses, conspir'd at once both against them and God: against God's People, against God's Anointed, against God's Religion; a­gainst their Lives and Fortunes, against their Prince and Government, against their way of Worship and Salvation? Have they not told us, how cunningly [Page 18]and how secretly their enemies hid their Plot in the dark caverns of the Earth, how successfully they throve in it, for a long time, and how near they brought it to execution; how little, in the mean while they themselves dreamt of their danger, and how unable they were to prevent it? Have they not told us all this? Yes, and, to our comfort, a great deal more: They have told us, how their God, in whom they trusted, came suddenly and seasona­bly to their relief: what a wonderful and unexpected accident he sent, not many days before that on which they were de­stin'd for slaughter, to inform them of the danger they were in, and to warn them to provide against it: How wisely and how powerfully he defeated all the Deep­laid and Infallible Contrivances, as they then no doubt thought them, who had the Blessings of Infallibility upon them, of his and their Enemies: How justly he re­torted the mischeifs, they had design'd for his People, upon their own heads: and [Page 19]How gloriously he preserv'd his Truth and his Anointed from becoming a prey to Ido­latrous and Blood-thirsty Men, and suf­fered not his Heritage to be brought to confusion. And, from these remarkable circumstances of their deliverance, they have wisely and piously infer'd, that it was the Lord's doing, and Religiously devoted this day to his Service, as an argument not only of their sense of his goodness, but al­so of their thankfulness for it.

But we need not go so far backwards, to behold God stretching out his Arm for our deliverance. We may all remember, and certainly we shall never forget it! how very lately the wicked off-spring of the same race of crafty Men, whom I men­tion'd before (whose custom it is to observe our Saviour's commands by halves, and to put on the cunning of the Serpent, without the Innocency of the Dove,) were industrious­ly, contriving our ruine. Not so secretly indeed as the others, but no less dangerous­ly, because their openness had Power and [Page 20]Authority to support it. Nay, so far had they prevail'd in their designs, that they had more than began to prophane and de­file God's Sanctuary, more than began to pillage and oppress his People. But I love not to repeat such Melancholy Truths; It is enough to say our case was bad, and, as we then thought, desperate; but he, whose thoughts are not as our thoughts, Isa. 55.8. did not think so; and happy was it for us that he did not. He saw and had compassion on our tears, saw in what need we stood of a De­liverer, and he immediately became one to us. And that we might, even from the be­ginning of our Deliverance, know it to be from him, he began it, with an Happy O­men, on this very Day, on which he had done such wonderful things for our Fore-fa­thers in times past. Nor did it want other marks of being his: It was commenc'd, carry'd on and perfected in Wonders, his Enemies courage forsaking them, unac­countable fears laying hold on them, and making them to stagger like drunken Men, Ps. 107.27. [Page 21] and to be at their wits end: It came in Judg­ment to make his enemies feel those evils which they had not only threatn'd, but in part executed against others: It came in season, when they began to Lord it over his heritage, with an high hand: It came to an­swer the earnest cries and importunities of his Servants: It came attended with a mighty concurrence of lucky accidents, and, in a word, it came with such extraor­dinary power, wisdom and goodness, to pull down the strong holds of the wicked, to turn all their craft into foolishness, and to pre­serve and secure the true Religion, and the true servants of it, that we have no Room to doubt, from whence it came.

Oh! Blessed Day, which God himself has marked with double Characters of Joy! We may now vie with our Fore-fathers, for instances of the Divine favour and Pro­tection, and hope that we are not worse, than they were, because we have not far'd worse. It is indeed a marvellous Love, wherewith God has loved us. Oh let us [Page 22]study how we may repay it, in acts of Duty and Obedience. But this advice will more properly belong to my

III Third Head, under which I now come to make some practical inferences from the whole. And, Is it then manifest that the great, and wise, and good God, who beholds and over-rules all the most secret Counsels of the crafty, has, in a most illustrious manner, twice even on the same day, defeated and confounded all the promising and hopeful devices of our enemies against us? Me­thinks the consideration of this should,

1. Discourage them from attempting us any more. When they see the Providence of God so zealously engag'd on our behalf, it is not greater wickedness, than it is folly, to fight against it;Prov. 21.30. for there is no wisdom, nor understanding, nor counsel, I may safely add, nor power against the Lord. They can never prevail against us without his leave: and he has hitherto given them but very small ground to hope that they shall obtain it; So far has he been from shining [Page 23]upon their Counsels, that he has show'd his displeasure and dslike of them, in repeated disappointments, thereby plainly forbidding them to tempt him any more.

The Aegyptians, when they persu'd the Israelites to the Red Sea, and saw the hand of God divide it, to make a passage for them, argu'd very wisely, in saying, Let us flee from the face of Israel, Exod. 14.25. for the Lord fight­eth for them against the Aegyptians. And certainly, were not our enemies more hard­ned than the Aeygptians, they would ar­gue in like manner, and say of us; Behold the Keeper of Israel, who neither slumbereth nor sleepeth, watcheth over this People for their Defence, and therefore it is in vain to hope that any design, which we can Form against them, shall prosper.

I am sure, had they Argu'd thus some years ago, they had sav'd themselves a great deal of shame and trouble; but, as the wise Providence of God has order'd it, which knows how to bring good out of evil, it is well for us, that they did not. For [Page 24]their frequent Disappointments of late, and especially that last Signal one, which is fresh upon ours, and, I dare say, upon their Minds too, are such new and evident Te­stimonies of the Divine Love and Care o­ver us, as must certainly Damp their Spi­rits, and abate the Heat of their Designs against us.

2. This Consideration should encou­rage us, in all our straits and difficulties, to place our hope and confidence in God; In God, I say, who hath already given us such glorious and happy tasts and earnests, not only of his Ability, but also of his readi­ness and willingness to help us. What, tho' our case, to Human fight, seem dark and melancholy, tho' our enemies lay close siege to us, and their devices, appear to be contriv'd with so much art and cunning, and supported with so much strength and power, that they can hardly possibly fail of success; Must we Despair because of this, Why so? Ought we not rather to Argue thus with our selves? Were we [Page 25]never before in as bad a case? Were we ne­ver reduc'd to such straits before? And who then deliver'd us out of them? Who indeed but he whose arm is still as long as ever, whose power and will to save is still the same. Let us not fear then, neither be dis­may'd, but in our greatest dangers still con­fide in him that hath redeem'd us, and say, as David did upon a like occasion,1 Sam. 17.37. The Lord that deliver'd our Fore-fathers from the Gun­powder Plot, and our selves from another, that would as certainly, tho' not so suddenly, have prov'd fatal to us, shall deliver us likewise from the snares now laid for us. To him then let us commit our cause, Psal. 33.18. Let us hope in his mercy, and his eye will be upon us, Psal. 37.5. let us trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass.

3. It should likewise encourage us to make our earnest Prayers to God for help in time of need. There is no motive, which can so powerfully engage Men to seek un­to God, as a firm beleif that they shall ob­tain what they seek for, that they shall ask and have. And this we have abundant rea­son to believe concerning our selves, from [Page 26]those many favourable and gracious An­swers which God hath given to our pray­ers hitherto.Psal. 61.2, 3. From the end of the earth, saith David unto God, will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelm'd: for thou hast been a shelter for me, and a strong Tower from the enemy. God has been a shelter to us likewise, therefore let us cry unto him in the time of trouble. More especially at this time, when the devices of our enemies are many, and their strength great against us, let us in­treat him to be our deliverer.Psal. 83. Keep not thou silence O God, v. 1, 2, 3, 4. hold not thy peace, and be not still O God. For lo thine enemies make a tumult: and they that hate thee have lift up the head. They have taken crafty counsel a­gainst thy people, and consulted against thy hid­den ones. They have said, come, and let us cut them off from being a Nation: that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. But, O Lord, Psal. 25.6. Remember thy tender mercies, and thy loving kindnesses which have been ever of old: and give not thy Scepter unto them that be nothing, Esther 14.11. and let them not laugh at our fall, but turn their devices upon themselves, [Page 27]and make him an example that hath begun this against us.

4. And lastly, Since God hath done such wonderful things for us, we must be sure not to forget to glorifie him. This, he has plain­ly told us, he expect from us: I will deliver thee, saith he, and thou shalt Glorifie me. Psal. 50.15.

Glorifie him, by acknowledging his Salvati­on, by confessing that our own arm did not save us, but his right hand, and his arm, Psal. 44.3 [...]. and the light of his countenance, because he had a favour unto us.

Glorifie him, by rejoycing in it: We will rejoyce in his Salvation, because the Heathen are sunk down in the pit that they made, Psal. 9.14.15. in the net which they hid is their own foot taken.

Glorifie him by declaring his works, Ps. 45.11, 12. by telling the people of his doings, by speaking of the glory of his Kingdom, and talking of his power; by ma­king known to the sons of Men his mighty acts, and the glorious Majesty of his Kingdom.

Glorifie him,Ps. 26.7. by having his praise continually in our mouths, by declaring his name unto our brethren, by praising him especially in the midst of the great congregation, and by publishing all his wondrous works with the voice of thanksgi­ving. But, above all,

Glorifie him, by our lives and conversations, by behaving our selves as becometh those, whom the Lord hath redeem'd, and deliver'd from the hand of the enemy. This, this is that sacrifice with which God is well pleased: for behold to obey and to do justice is better and more acceptable to him than sacrifice. 1 S [...]m. 15.23. Prov. 2 [...].3.

Let this then be our way of Glorifying God: Let us be careful not only to honour him with our lips, but also to order our Conversation a­right, that so we may both praise him worthi­ly for past Deliverances, and engage him to shew us his salvation in the times to come. If we do this we may safely defie all the strength and cunning of our enemies, and apply those words of God to them, which he spake by the mouth of his Holy Prophet Isaiah, Ch. 8. v. 9, 10. Associate your selves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces: and give ear all ye of far Countreys: Gird your selves, and ye shall be broken to pieces: Gird your selves, and ye shall be broken to pieces. Take counsel together and it shall come to naught. Speak the word, and it shall not stand, for God is with us.