And hath it not been thus in these great deliverances that he hath wrought for us of late? We may all say, "The Lord hath created a new thing," for the woman, that is, those that are weak, have laid siege to, and taken those that are strong. Here is power legible.

Again, the Psalmist doth speak expressly, "The Lord is known by the judgment that he executeth: the wicked are snared in the work of their own hands." When the wicked plot, consult, and design upon, and against the righteous, and they are so snared in their complotments, as that the cause of the just and righteous is furthered by their own workings, then is the Lord known: then and there are the marks, impressions, characters, of a Deity upon that work. And hath not the Lord led you in this way all along?

For the powder treason: the enemies and papists thought to have swallowed up the protestant party, and to have subdued all this kingdom with their religion; promising themselves such a good day, as they never had before: but never had the papists such a blow, nor that religion made more odious in this kingdom, than by this design of their own: they were snared in their own works.

And was it not so with the prelates of late; and with all your enemies? I appeal to ye, what hath contributed to, or advanced the cause of God's people, more than the designings of their enemies? Oh, therefore who may not say, Now I have seen a Deity, now I have seen the Lord, and his mighty power?

But if there have been such marks and impressions of an almighty power upon all our deliverances and salvations; what is the reason, that men see God no more therein, God is yet known no more?

Let me tell you plainly: some men come to God's work full of their own sense. Interpretation follows the disposition. Every man interprets according to his own affection.

It is therefore observed by Masius, that when Moses and Joshua came down from the mount, and heard the people dancing, playing, and singing before their golden calf; Joshua, being of a warlike disposition, interprets the noise to be the noise of war: Moses, being a meek man, interprets the noise to be the noise of singing. I have read of a certain controversy that was at Rome, concerning the two

missals or services of Gregory and Ambrose: the controversy was very hot, whose missal or mass-book should be allowed, and authentic: and thereupon they determined, that they should both be left upon the altar in Peter's church all the night; and that they would expect some immediate revelation from heaven the next morning: it was so done, both were left on the altar; and in the morning, they found that Gregory's mass-book was rent, and torn in many pieces, and lay scattered about the church: but Ambrose's whole, and open upon the altar. Which event, says my author, one would have thought, should have signified thus much, that the missal of Gregory should have been cancelled and abolished; and that of Ambrose authentic and canonical: but Pope Adrian, in whose time it was, being for Gregory's mass-book, expounded this lying miracle thus: that the rending of Gregory's missal, intended the dispersing thereof over all the christian world, and that it only should be made authentic. Thus do men's interpretations follow their own dispositions. And so now, when men come to God's works, deliverances, and salvations, though there be much of a Deity therein, yet coming to them in their own sense, and abounding in their affection, they follow their own disposition, and so they lose the Deity.

But when Moses came to see the wonder of "the burning bush, that was not consumed;" though he said, “ I will turn aside to see this great wonder;" the Lord said, "Pull off thy shoes, Moses, pull off thy shoes." So doth God now call unto us: you say, I will turn aside, and see this wonder, that England's bush hath been burning thus many years, and is not consumed; a wonder indeed, to be beheld and considered by all: but if you would see the Lord therein, ye must pull off your own shoes; and the Lord calls unto ye, Oh, my servants, pull off your shoes; lay aside your own dispositions, else you will not see this wonder, nor my power.

Sometimes men come to God's work with their hearts full of envy and malice at God's instruments: and envy is blind. They will not see, says envy, in a case of justice, but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at thy

* Ira sequintur invidiam, quæ mentem exulcerat, sensum hebetat, linguam immutat, ocnlos obumbrat, totumque corpus perterbat.-Ambrose.

people. If a man have an envious, malicious eye at God's instruments, he will never see much of God in the work.

Though there be much of God's power and glory in all those salvations which he hath wrought for us with a notwithstanding yet sometimes men see not God, because they stand poring so much on the second cause. God seldom doth any great work, but still he doth use some creature in the doing of it, though the creature be too short to reach the work. And though it be but a piece of brass, which, say the naturalists, to behold is hurtful to those that are stung with the serpent: yet the Israelites will rather adore the brazen serpent, than they would see the Lord.

The Jewish Rabbins say, that when the Philistines had taken Samson,* and saw that he was a man of such strength, none like him in all the earth; they caused him to sleep with some women, that they might have a generation of Samsons, and strong men among them: and the reason of this notion they take from Judges xvi. 21, where it is said, That they made him him grind, not in the mill, but they made him grind. Which word is the same in the Hebrew, with that in Job xxxi., "Then let my wife grind to another." And if this notion of theirs be true: ye see how the Philistines lost the sight of God in the strength of Samson; namely, by poring too much on the second cause of strength. But when our Lord Jesus Christ was on earth, what great and glorious things did he do, yet the Jews had not an eye to see them, or God in them: why? "Is not this the carpenter's son?" say they. "Can any good come out of Nazareth?" They looked no higher than Nazareth, or a carpenter. There was flesh in Christ, and a Deity: they looked so much upon his flesh, as they did lose his Deity. So in all these great things that God hath done for us; there is a flesh in the work, something of flesh; and there is a Deity, the impressions of infinite power: but men stand looking so much upon the flesh of the action, as they lose the Deity of it. Some stretch and crack their eye-strings so much in beholding the creatures, and in the admiration of men; as they have no eye left for to see the Lord: sometimes men see no

* Ebræi tamen dicunt quod Philistæi fecerunt cum dormire cum mulieribus robustis ut ex eo prolem robustam susciperent: quoniam idem vocabul: Judges xvi. 21. 11 et Job xxxi. non Dilberus. Elect. lib. ii. cap. ix.

more of God in his works because they are not acquainted with his ways and methods of his proceedings with his people; his way is in the deep, and therefore his footsteps are not known; we seek for him in our own way, and find him not; for his ways are not as our ways: whereupon says Luther,* If we would see more of God in his works, we must understand his ways as distinct from ours. Nam ego, saith he, I often endeavoured to prescribe God his way which he should walk in. O Lord, said I, this I would have thus done, in this order, and with this event: but God did the contrary unto what I desired: then did I think but my counsel was for God's glory, and did make to the sanctifying of his name; sed risit dominus, the Lord laughed at my wisdom, saying, I know thou art a wise man, and learned; but it is not my manner to do, or work, or govern, as Peter Martyr, Luther, or any other shall teach; for I am not a passive but an active God: sciamus ergo, we must know therefore, that God doth sometimes hide himself, that we may learn that his goodness, mercy, power, is not to be attained by speculation, but experience. The way to see him in his work is to understand his method in working, which nothing can attain unto, but faith: "all men have not faith, few that do live by faith." Sometimes men are so discontented with what is evil amongst us, that for anguish of their souls, they cannot see what is good: some crumb goes awry, and so they lose the whole meal of mercy. But would But would you have a true prospect of the great things God hath done for us? then let us all go, and run unto Jesus Christ, to open the mystery and parable of

*Discamus regulam et ordinem gubernationis Dee usitatum, nam ego sæpe certas rationes conatus sum Deo præscribere, quibus uteretur in administratione sanctæ ecclesiæ et aliarum rerum; ab Domine, dixi, hoc velim ita fieri, hoc eventu; sed Deus prorsus contrarium faciebat ab eo quod petiveram : ibitum cogitabam, atqui meum consilium non est alicuum a gloria Dei, sed plurimum facit ad sanctificandum nomen ejus: sed risit haud dubie dominus hanc sapientiam et dixit, age vero novi te esse prudentem et eruditum, sed mihi nunquam hic mos fuit ut aut Petrus, aut Divus Martinus, aut alius me doceret: non sum Deus passivus, sed activus. Sciamus Deum se abscondere sub specie pessimi Diaboli, ideo ut discamus bonitatem, misericordiam, potentiam Dei non posse comprehendi speculando, sed experiendo. Deus suos humiliat ut exaltet, occidit ut vivificet, confundit ut glorificet, subjicit ut extollat. Nam sic Deus sapientiam nostram mortificat, ut homo agrestis mirabilem symphoniam tot vocum in organis, aut Cythara non intelligit, propterea quod totius harmoniæ rationem ignorat: sic nos arbitramur temere omnia fieri, diabolum vigilare, Deum dormire, &c.-Luther in Gen.

his works; he is the Lord that is now at work. And as when he lived, without a parable spake he nothing, so now without a parable works he nothing: his works are all parabolical as his words are.

We read, that when John, in Rev. v., met with a sealed book that had seven seals, which neither he nor any could open, he fell down and wept; but one came to him and told him, "the Lion of the tribe of Judah is worthy to open the book;" and so he was fully quieted, praising the Lord. Now there is a great folio book of providence that is before you; indeed it is sealed with many seals, but if opened, you will find that it is written in every page, Free grace, free love, salvation with a notwithstanding. Would you open this book? away then to Jesus Christ, and as the disciples said, so do you also, "Lord, tell us the meaning of this parable;" tell us the meaning of this dispensation; oh, tell us the meaning of this thy providence. Christ is very ready to teach you: as a schoolmaster morning by morning teacheth his scholars, so Christ, Isa. 1. 4. And all the worst he will say to you, as to Peter, "What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know."

But suppose we have seen the Lord already, the finger, hand, arm, and almighty power of God; for we must all needs acknowledge "that the Lord hath done great things for us;" that we have seen the marks and characters of his almighty power imprinted upon all our deliverances, upon the deliverance of this day, and upon all those salvations which this age hath brought forth: but then what is our work, and what returns are we to make unto God again?

Discovery of power calls for fear: it must be the song of these latter times, "Great and wonderful are thy works, O Lord God Almighty, just and true are thy ways, who shall not fear thee, and worship thy name?" Rev. xv.

But if God hath done great things for us, then are we to do some great thing for God again. God never did any great thing for his servants but they did great things for him, so David, Paul, Zaccheus, and many others. And because Hezekiah did not make answerable return of praise, though he did praise the Lord for his deliverance, God was displeased with him, and it cost him dear. Now God hath done great things for us, and made known his infinite power in a way of