S^t. PAVLS CHALLENGE, OR The Churches Triumph.

THE Triumphant Challenge of a Victorious Champion, againſt all the Churches enemies, bodily and ghoſtly. It was daringly done of Goliah,1 Sam. 17.10. when he challenged the whole Hoaſt of Iſrael. Loe here, all the Hoaſt of the earth are challeng'd, with all the Armies of Hell to boote, and though they ſhould all joyne in one, here's one that defies them all. The Triumph is firſt more generall, in this verſe and in the next. Then more particular, in the verſes that come after; which I ſhall touch upon anone. In this verſe, the Apoſtle triumphs, that nothing can befortun a Chri­ſtian to doe him any hurt. The reaſon, becauſe God is of his ſide, God is for him. If God be for us, who can be againſt us? In the next verſe, he triumphs againe, that nothing can be wanting to a Chriſtian that ſhall doe him any good. The reaſon, be­cauſe he hath Chriſt given him; and Chriſt being given him, what can be denied him? He that hath given us Chriſt, how ſhall he not with him give us all things?

Nothing againſt us? All for us? 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉ſaies the Apoſtle?2 what ſhall we ſay to theſe things? Theſe are ſuch things, as if all were reckon'd up, that can be reckoned up, nothing could be more ſaid. He ſummes up all here that he had ſaid before. Before, he had enumerated and reckon'd up, the ſeverall, and ſingular priviledges, that Chriſtians have an intereſt in. He beginnes with the loweſt of them, Deliverance from condem­nation. In de firſt verſe of the chap. There is no condemnation to them that are in Chriſt. And then he goes on, till he comes to the higheſt; from the ſtate of condemnation, out of which we are delivered, to the ſtate of glorification, unto which wee are exalted. He hath praedeſtinated us, (he ſaies) He hath cal­led us, He hath juſtified us, He hath glorified us; So in the v. immediatly before going. But there he ſtayes, hee makes a ſtop at that, as if when he had ſaid that, he had ſaid all; He had gone ſo high as he could goe no higher. And therefore here, by way of recapitulation, he breaks forth into this tri­umphant acclamation,〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; what ſhall wee ſay to theſe things? As if he ſhould ſay, This is all that can be ſaid. More then this cannot be ſpoken; greater comfort then this, can­not be given. You may underſtand it three waies. Either by way of thankefull acknowledgement; What ſhall we ſay to theſe things? They be ſuch excellent things, as wee can never bee ſufficiently thankfull to God for them. Or by way of admi­ration and wonderment: what ſhall we ſay to theſe things! They be ſuch wonderfull things, as wee cannot but admire and bee aſtoniſhed, ſo often as we thinke of them. Or laſt of all, by way of triumph and challenge What ſhal we ſay to theſe things? They be ſuch high and mighty things, as we dare challenge all Creatures, Men and Devills, to ſay or doe what ever they can againſt them; we are confidently reſolved, and peremp­torily wee conclude, that nothing can be againſt us, as long as God is for us. If God be for us, who can be againſt us?

The words, as they lie, conſiſt of two parts.

• 1. A Suppoſition.
• 2. An Interrogation.

The Suppoſition in the firſt words. Si Deus pro nobis, If God be for us.

The Interrogation, in the next: Quis contra nos? who can be againſt us?

If God be for us, ſaies the Apoſtle. The word If, is not to be doubtfully, but affirmatively taken. Though it have but a ſuppoſitive forme, yet it hath a poſitive force. Commonly it is ſpoken, I know, of things that are queſtionable: yet ſometime of things that are impoſſible; ſometime of things that are in­dubitable Things that are impoſſible. So Gal 4.8. If an Angell from heaven preach any other Goſpel, then that which wee have preacht, let him be accurſed. The Apoſtle knew it was im­poſſible that an Angell from heaven ſhould preach any other Doctrine; yet he ſuppoſes a poſſibility, therefore expreſſes it by an If.

And as things impoſſible thus; ſo thus, things indubitable and certaine. They are expreſt by an If too, which ſometime carries the force of an Etſi, although. Sometime of a Quoniam, Becauſe. If thus; That is, Although thus. As 1 John 2.1. If any man ſin. The Apoſtle knew there was not any man but did ſin: But his meaning was, that Though a man did, yet he had an Advocate to the Father, &c.

Or againe, If thus; That is, Seeing thus, or Becauſe thus: As here in my Text, Si Deus pro nobis, If God be for us; That is, Quoniam Deus pro nobis; Becauſe God is for us, Or Seeing God is for us.

And ſo for the Interrogation that followes; The quis con­tra nos? who can bee against us? The Apoſtle meant not to grant, that ſome might be, but rather concluded that none could be. Who can? As much to ſay, as None can. Like that of Da­vid, Pſal. 130.3. If thou Lord ſhalt marke our iniquities, Quis feret? who can abide it? Ille quis, nullus; ſaies S^t. Auſtin. That's as much to ſay, as None can abide it.

So here, If God be for us, Quis contra nos? who can be againſt us? Ille quis nullus; The meaning of that is, None can be a­gainſt us. As the ſuppoſition before, had the force of a Conceſ­ſion, implying that Gods being for us, was not a thing to bee ſuppoſed only, but granted: ſo this Interrogation here hath the force of a Negative; implying that becauſe God is for us, that there can be any thing againſt us, is not a thing to be queſtio­ned, but flatly denyed.

In a word; That which the Apoſtle would ſay here, is plainly this. Nothing can be againſt thoſe; nothing can hurt thoſe, with whom, or for whom God is. The words are argumentative; and the Apoſtles argument in them, is Syllogiſtically framed. We have an enthymeme here, a contracted Syllogiſm. God is for us: Ergo, none can be againſt us. Or if you will, a Hypotheticall Syl­logiſme; the Major only expreſt: The Minor and Concluſion conceald. Fully thus. If God be for us, none can be againſt us. This is the Maior part of the Syllogiſme, and this you ſee is expreſt. Then comes in the Minor, though conceald in in the text, but God is for us. Thereupon the Concluſion ne­ceſſarily follows, Therefore none can be againſt us.

This being the ſcope of the words, the parts ſhall be theſe. Not a Suppoſition and a Queſtion, as before; but a Propoſition and a Proofe: Or if you pleaſe a Doctrine, and a Reaſon. 1. You have here a Propoſition or Doctrine; In effect this; None can be againſt thoſe that are Gods. 2. You have the Reaſon or Proofe of it, Becauſe God is on their ſide, God is for them. Both theſe we ſhall diſcourſe upon; upon the Doctrine firſt; then upon the Reaſon; and having done with the explication of them, we will conclude with the uſe and application.

If God be for us, who can be againſt us? Who can be againſt us, does the Apoſtle aske? He needed not aske that, you will ſay. If we compare number with number, we ſhall find more againſt us then for us. We have thoſe that are openly a­gainst us; and we have thoſe that are ſecretly against us; ene­mies againſt us from without, and enemies againſt us from within; as many againſt us as Chriſt had againſt him. Looke how many wicked men there be in the world, ſo many we have againſt us. Looke how many Devils there be in hell, ſo many we have againſt us. And yet does the Apoſtle aske, who can be againſt us?

Who knowes not, that there hath beene enmity from the beginning, between the ſeede of the Woman, and the ſeede of the Serpent? Gen. 3.15.Who knowes not, how he that was borne after the fleſh, perſecuted him that was borne after the ſpirit? And e­ven ſo it is now, ſaith the Apoſtle, Gal. 4.29. As it was then, ſo is it now ▪ It was then ſo, and it is now ſo. Now5 to this day the matter is not mended a whit; nor the world is no Changeling, but ſtill the old quarrell is renewed and maintained. They that were againſt Chriſt then, are againſt Chriſt ſtill; They that perſecuted the Church then, perſecute it ſtill. In the infancy of it, it was perſecuted by Tyrants; In the growth of it, it was perſecuted by Hereticks;Bernard Now in the peaceable times of it, it hath beene perſecuted by falſe brethren, and hypocriticall Profeſſors. Even in our owne dayes a ſort that have ſeem'd to be greatly for the Church, they have beene ſhamefully againſt it; againſt the ſpirituall glory of it, againſt the ſincere worſhip of God in it, againſt the power of the Goſpell, and the purity of the ordinances, (more for Innovation then for Reformation) though for out­ward ſplendour and ceremony, zealous beyond meaſure, to advance the pompe of it. Of her being perſecuted by theſe three enemies, the Church may complaine as Jacob did, when he fear'd to be deprived of his three ſonnes: Jo­ſeph is not, and Simeon is not,Gen. 42.36. and now they will take Benjamin a­way too; All theſe things are againſt me. So the poore Church of Chriſt may complaine; Tyrants have perſecuted me, and Hereticks have perſecuted me; and now falſe brethren and hypocrites perſecute me: What Rocks am I caſt upon? what ſtraites am I driven to? All theſe things are againſt me. And yet does the Apoſtle aske, Who can be againſt us?

Out of queſtion, as long as there is a Chriſt in heaven, and a Church on earth; there will be a Devill in hell, and a faction in the world, that will maintaine warre againſt both. Unleſſe Chriſt and the Devill could be reconciled, the world and the Church will never be at peace; They are strangers one to another. Chriſtians are ſtrangers in the world: Therefore they muſt looke for no friendly entertainment in it, but to be uſed as ſtrangers. Nay they are enemies, hating and hated one of another. The world hates me, ſaies our Savi­our, and therefore it will hate you: And it is well it does ſo. It's a good providence of God that the world ſhould hate us, that ſo we might learne to be out of love with the world. How were the Prophets hated and perſecuted in it? Joh. 15.18.How were the Apoſtles hated and perſecuted in it? Even this our6 Apoſtle, St. Paul himſelfe after he had once taken upon him the name of a Chriſtian, he never went without the badge of a Chriſtian, but carried the croſſe about with him ever-after,Gal. 6.17. bore the markes of it in his fleſh to his dying day. What ever place he came into, he met with one or other, that was againſt him;1. Cor. 15.32. Act. 19.24. with Beaſts at Epheſus that fought againſt him; with Demetrius the Silver-ſmith that raiſ'd the Citie in uproare againſt him; with Alexander the Copper-ſmith, that did all the miſchiefe he could to him;2. Tim. 4.13. 2. Tim. 4.10. Act. 13.8. Act. 14.19. Act. 16.22. with Alexander the Copper-ſmith, that did all the miſchiefe he could to him; with Demas that revol­ted from him; with Elymas at Paphos, that withſtood him; with the Jews at Lyſtra, that ſton'd him; with the Magiſtrates at Philippi, that whipt and impriſoned him; with multitudes at Jeruſalem, that charged heavy and falſe accuſations upon him; and at Rome laſt of all,Act. 21.28. with a Nero that beheaded him; and yet doth this Man aske, who can be againſt us?

Yes; He might aske it well enough. Take S^t Pauls mea­ning with S^t Pauls words, and we may confidently reſolve this Interrogative, into a Negative; None can bee againſt us: That is to ſay, None can be ſo againſt us, as ever to prevaile againſt us. They may Aſſault, but they cannot overcome: They may oppoſe, but they cannot overthrow; They may fight, but they cannot foile; They may ſhake, but they can­not ſhiver: They may wound, but they cannot kill; or they may kill, but they cannot hurt; kill the body, but not kill the ſoule: In a word, They may beleaguer, but they cannot con­quer; Traitor-like undermine us, but not blow us up.

Premimur, non opprimimur, it is the Churches Motto; the word that ſhe carryes in her Flag and Enſigne. As 2 Cor. 4.8. We are troubled on every ſide, but yet we are not diſtreſſed; we are perplexed, but yet we doe not deſpaire; we are perſecuted, but yet we are not forſaken; we are caſt down, but yet we are not deſtroyed. So Pſal. 129.1. Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth, may Iſrael now ſay: Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth; Sed non praevaluerunt, but they have not prevailed againſt me. No, they ſhall never doe that: It is the Apoſtles Challenge here in my text. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉? who can be againſt us? That is, who ſo, as to prevaile againſt us?

Three things you may be pleaſed to take notice of, in the words.

• 1. The Perſons to whom.
• 2. The Perſons for whom.
• 3. The matter about what.

1. To whom, or againſt whom, the Apoſtle makes this chal­lenge. I anſwer, To all the Enemies of the Church, be they who they will be. The word Tie, who, is a comprehenſive word; takes in all, excepts none; neither ſpirituall enemies, nor bodily. Not ſpirituall; ſuch as would accuſe, verſe 33. ſuch as would condemne, verſe 34. ſuch as would ſeparate us from God, verſe 35. None ſhall be able, either to doe the one of theſe, or the other; not ſin, not Satan, not the Law, not our own conſciences. Let them attempt what they will, what they can; none of them ſhall prevaile againſt us. No nor any bodily enemies neither: Thoſe that he afterward muſters up. Tribulation, diſtreſſe, perſecution, famine, Na­kedneſſe, perill, ſword. Theſe though they may infeſt and endanger the body, threaten to make conqueſt of us that way; yet when they have done all they can doe, in ſtead of conquering us, we ſhall conquer them; nay, we ſhall be more then conquerours over them, ſaies the Apoſtle, through him that loves us; in the 37. verſe of the chapter.

He goes a ſtep higher yet; joynes bodily and ghoſtly both to­gether; bids defiance to them all, heroically reſolves that none of them all ſhall prevaile; neither death nor life, nor An­gels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to com, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature; let them make what confederacies they can, joyne all their counſells, and forces together; yet they ſhall never be able to ſeparate us from the love of God which is in Chriſt Jeſus. Thus you ſee, who they are, againſt whom the Apoſtle makes his challenge.

2. Obſerve for whom, or in whoſe behalfe he makes it. That's in the word〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Ʋs; who againſt us? Which you may either underſtand to be generally meant, of the whole Church; or particularly, of every Member of the Church.

Againſt the whole Church firſt of all,Mat. 7.25. Pſal. 125.1. none ſhall ever pre­vaile. It is a houſe built upon a rock. Let the raine fall, let the windes blow, let the flouds riſe, her foundation is impreg­nable, and (as the Pſalmiſt of Mount-Zion) ſhall never be8 moved. Tis true. The Church is ſometime like a Ship upon the Sea,Iſai. 54.11. afflicted and toſſed with tempeſts. Like the Ship that the Diſciples ſayl'd in, fill'd with water, and cover'd with waves, and the paſſengers,Mat. 8.26. all ready to cry out, Lord ſave us, we pe­riſh. We have had the ſad and woefull experience of it, in all ages. And even of late dayes, what preſſures the Church hath ſuffered, in moſt places of Chriſtendome, how the ploughers have ploughed long furrows upon their backs, how her fields have been ſowne with the bodies, & watered with blood of Gods Saints, the Goſhens and Edens of it, that were ſometimes as the Gardens of God, turn'd now into A­celdemaes and Golgothaes, (I would I could ſay that we in our owne land had not beene made to drinke deepe of this cup) whoſe heart bleeds not to thinke of it? Certainly in many places, the Enemies have mightily prevailed. I, but yet for all this, though they have prevailed over ſome part of the Church; over the whole Church they ſhall never prevaile; though over the perſons, yet never over the cauſe. She ſhall have an Ʋbi ſtill, a hiding place to reſt in, though it be in the wilderneſſe. God will ſtill reſerve a remnant to himſelfe, even in the worſt times, that ſhall worſhip him in ſincerity, and not kiſſe the Calves in Bethel, nor bow the knee to Baal.

Againe, Though the Churches Enemies may now and then prevaile in ſome places; yet like the Sea (as one ſaies) what they gaine in one place, they loſe in another. And ſo the Church for her part, what ſhe loſes in one place, ſhe gaines in a­nother. As what ſhe loſt among the Jews, when they reje­cted the Goſpell of Chriſt, ſhe gain'd among the Gentiles, when they received it. So what ſhe loſt in the Eaſterne parts of the world, ſhe gained in the Weſterne; what ſhe loſt in Garmany, ſhe gain'd in the Netherlands; what in Italy and Spain; ſhe gain'd in France and England. God ſtill ſo provides, that what her Enemies doe againſt her in one place, he does for her in another; and though they prevaile againſt ſome part of the Church, yet againſt the whole Church (as I ſaid) they ſhall never prevaile.

Nay; they ſhall never prevaile neither againſt any one mem­ber of the Church. Every childe ſhall inherit the ſame bleſſing9 with the Mother. What Chriſt ſaid unto Peter, is ſhall be verified upon every Diſciple of Chriſt, Luke 22.31. Satan hath deſired to winnow thee, as wheat is winnowed, but I have prayed for thee, that thy faith may not faile. Peters Faith never utterly faild; Tis true, It was ſhaken indeede, but though concuſſa, yet not excuſſa, as Theophylact ſayes, though it were ſhaken, it was not ſhiver'd; Mota, ſed non amota, moved it was, but it was not removed: Coepit areſcere, ſed non exa­ruit; It withered at the top, but it dyed not at the roote. In 2. Tim. 4.8. St. Paul ſpeakes of a Crowne of righteouſneſſe, that he ſayes he knew the Lord would give him. Marke what he adds; He ſayes he would not give it to him only, but to e­very one that loved his appearing. Had not every Chriſtian this priviledge, his condition were uncomfortable. But our hap­pineſſe is, that what ever God or nature hath intended for the ſafety and conſervation of the whole, ſhall be commu­nicated and diſtributed to every part. If therefore no Enemie ſhall ever prevaile againſt the whole Church; I being a member of the Church, my confidence and comfort is, that none ſhall ever finally prevaile againſt me. Let's aſſure our ſelves, they ſhall not. Though they may prevaile over our lives, they ſhall not prevaile over our ſpirits. Though they may reproch our names, and plunder our eſtates, and mangle our bodies; they ſhall never doe any violence to our ſoules. No, the Devill himſelfe ſhall never lay hand upon them, un­leſſe he could pluck them out of Gods hand. He may bruiſe them with tentation, but he ſhall never bring them to deſtruction. God has made us invincible, though he have not made us invulnerable. So thus you ſee the ſecond point; For whom, or in whoſe be­halfe the Apoſtle makes this challenge.

In the third and laſt place; Obſerve the matter about which he makes it. About the enemies being againſt the Church. Who can be againſt us? ſaies the Apoſtle. That's the challenge he makes. And how againſt us, he ſpecifies in three particulars. 1. In the 33. verſe. Quis accuſabit? Who ſhall accuſe Gods elect? or who ſhall lay any thing to their charge? None ſhall be able to doe that. He tells you why. Becauſe it is God that juſtiſies us. God is the Judge of all, and it is in the10 Judges power to pronounce thoſe that are accuſed, either guilty or innocent. If God being the Judge, therefore will juſtifie us to be innocent, no accuſer can make us guil­ty.

Then in the 34. verſe. Quis condemnabit? Who ſhall con­demne? None ſhal be able to doe that neither: He tells you why. Becauſe Chriſt is dead and riſ•n againe for us. Chriſt by his death and reſurrection hath acquited us from the ſen­tence of condemnation. He became ſurety for us, and paid the debt that we owed. The death that we deſerv'd he ſuf­fered, and being ſuffered by him, it cannot be charged upon us. What ever debt I owe, my Creditour cannot condemne me in it, if he that undertakes to be my ſurety, have paid and diſcharged it.

Thirdly and laſtly, in the 35. verſe, Quis ſeparabit? ſays the Apoſtle. Who ſhall ſeparate us from the love of God? Nor ſhall any be able to doe that either. He tells you why. Be­cauſe Gods love in Chriſt is unchangeable, therefore nothing can ſeparate from it. Many occaſions may ſeparate friends here, and cauſe a diverſion of their love. John. 13.1. Jam. 1.17.But whom God loves, he loves to the end: His love is as Himſelf is, ſubject to no varia­tion. I am perſwaded nothing can ſeparate us from the love of God to us in Chriſt, as the Apoſtle ſweetly in the cloze of this chapter. If then there be none that can accuſe us, none that can condemne us; none that can ſeparate us from God, or God from us; we may boldly make the challenge that the Apoſtle here makes;〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉; Who can be againſt us? Afflicted the poore Church may be (as you heard before) but who ever afflicts her, none can overcome her. Enemies may riſe up againſt her, but none of the ſhall prevaile againſt her. That is, they ſhall never ſo prevaile, as either to pervert her, or ſub­vert her. They ſhall neither ſcare her from her profeſſion, nor ſupplant her from her peace. They ſhall neither bereave her of her Faith, nor deprive her of the reward of her Faith. They ſhall neither ſtrip her of Grace, nor ſpoile her of Glo­ry.

I may goe one ſtep higher yet. So far ſhall the Enemies of the Church be from doing any thing againſt her, as in11 ſeeking to doe againſt her, the ſhall rather doe for her. In ſtri­ving to be her Enemies, they ſhall (though againſt their wills) prove her beſt friends. What ever they intend to her hurt, it ſhall turne to her good. As Ioſeph to his brethren,Gen. 50.20. When you thought evill againſt me, God meant it to my good. So God will turne that to the good of his Church, which her Enemies intend to her for e­vill. The plot that Haman laid for Mordecai, and the lot that he caſt for the rooting out of the Jewes, beſide the miſchiefe he brought upon himſelfe by it, (it was like an Arrow ſhot upright, that fell downe upon his owne head) it turn'd in the end to Mor­decai's greater advancement, and to the Iewes greater enlarge­ment. And ſo ſhall every thing turne, that the Enemie plots and practiſes, to ruine any of Gods children, it ſhall turne to their greater good and glory in the end. It may for the time helpe to let out ſome of their corrupt blood; but they ſhall afterward be the ſounder for it. As it was with Phereus Iaſon in the ſtory; one that had an Apoſthem growing within his body;Cic•natur•deor: l. 3. when an Enemie of his that thought to have killed him ran at him with his ſword, it ſo happened in the thruſt, that the ſword did only prick the A­poſtheme; and by that meanes profuit hoſtis, his Enemie did him a better turn, then all his Chirurgions could doe him. Gladio vo­micam aperuit; He opened the ulcer he had within him, and by o­pening it cured it.

They ſay vines beare the better, when they are watered with blood: So does the vine of Gods Church. The blood that has been ſhed in it ▪ has been a deaw to water it. The more the Church has been perſecuted, the more ſhe has flouriſht. Like the Camo­mill, the more you treade upon it, the thicker it growes;Nitit•r in pondus palma et conſurgit in altum. like the Palme; the more weight you lay upon it, the broader it ſpreads. Non minuitur, ſed augetur, ſaies Leo. The Church leſſens not with perſecution, but increaſes. Therefore Tertullian to the Gentiles, when they were ſo cruell in perſecuting the poore Chriſtians. What gaine you by all your cruelty? ſaies he. It is no ſuch Bug­beare to ſcare us, it is rather a Baite to allure us. Quoties metimur, plures efficimur; the oftner we are mowen downe, the thicker we come up. Pharaoh found it ſo, when he oppreſt and afflicted the Iſraelites; The more he afflicted them, ſaies the text, the more they mul­tiplied and grew. Exod. 1.12. And Herod found it ſo after his behead­ding of Iames, and impriſoning of Peter. The fiercer he waxt, the fertiler the Church waxt, for (ſays the ſtory) the word multiplyed12 and grew after it. Act. 12.24. We neede not wonder at this be­loved. No wonder that nothing can prevaile againſt the elect of God; nothing to accuſe; nothing to condemne; nothing to ſeparate them from his love. The Apoſtle gives a ſatisfactory reaſon for it here in my text: It is becauſe God is on their ſide; God is for them. Which brings me to the proof of the Propoſition; the ſecond gene­rall part that I propounded to ſpeake of. Si deus pro nobis; If God be for us; that is, Quoniam Deus pro nobis; Becauſe God is for us; therefore none can be againſt us.

That none can be againſt us, becauſe God is for us, is a reaſon ir­refragable. All power ſave Gods, is but a created power, therefore but finite and limited; Onely Gods is infinite and un-limited, be-becauſe un-created:〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ſays Damaſcen, The God that we have is above all Gods. And〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, ſays Cyril, The power that God has, is above all power. Now if that power be for us, that is above all power; and if the God be for us, who is above all Gods, impoſſible it is, that as long as we have him for us, any thing can be againſt us.

It was part of Moſes his〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, the ſong of triumph that he ſung after Pharaoh and his hoſt were diſcomfited in the Red ſea; Who is like unto thee oh Lord among the Gods, who is like unto thee? Exod. 15.11. They ſay the Machabees had it afterward for their Mot­to, and put it upon their banner when they went out to their warrs. 〈…〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉Mi Camocha, Baelim Jehova. Who is like unto thee oh Lord among the Gods? And thence it was, as the Hewrews report, that they had their name given them; namely from the initiall letters of the foure words in that ſentence, Mem, Caph, Beth, Jod, which are juſt the initiall letters of the foure ſyllables of their name, Macha­baei. Sufficient it is that God hath cal'd himſelfe El-ſhaddai; a God al-ſufficient. So to Abraham, Gen. 17.1. Eni, El-ſhaddai, I am the Almighty God; or I am God all-ſufficient. All-ſufficient to himſelfe. All-ſufficient to his Creatures. All-ſufficient to ſave. All-ſufficient to deſtroy. All-ſufficient to doe what he will. All-ſufficient to doe how he will. All-ſufficient to doe more then he will. Having therefore ſuch a God for us; a God almighty, a God all-ſufficient; a God like unto whom there is no God; none like him in wiſe­dome, none like him in holineſſe, none like him in juſtice, none like him in mercy, none like him in truth, none like him in power; in defiance to all enemies, bodily and ghoſtly, ſecret and open. Traytours and Rebells, Hereticks and Tyrants, Jeſuites and De­vills,13 wee may confidently make it our triumph and our chal­lenge, If God be for us, who can be againſt us?

St. Auſtin obſerves, out of the verſe before-going,De verbis A­postoli. Serm. 16. that God may be ſaid to be for us foure wayes. For us in predeſtinating us; For us, in calling us; For us in iuſtifying us; For us in glorifying us. And theſe foure wayes, by which God is ſaid to be for us, he op­poſes to thoſe foure Enemies that riſe up againſt us. The firſt, our inferiour Enemies; (as he calls him) that's Man. The ſecond our exteriour; that's the World. The third our Interiour; that's the Fleſh. The fourth our ſuperiour; that's the Devill. That man cannot prevaile againſt us, he argues; becauſe of Gods predeſtina­ting us. Nor the world; becauſe of Gods calling us. Nor the fleſh; becauſe of Gods juſtifying us. Nor the Devill; becauſe of Gods glorifying us. None of all theſe can be againſt us, if God be for us.

In ſtead of, If God be for us; ſome reade, Si deus nobiſcum; If God be with us. And being ſo read, it may ſeeme to have ſpeciall refe­rence to Chriſt. For Immanuel you know is Chriſts name; and that's as much to ſay as Deus nobiſcum; God with us. And indeed, it is moſt certaine, that Gods being for us, it does properly and prima­rily come from Gods being with us. It comes originally from Chriſt. It is in and through Chriſt, that God does all thoſe things for us, that you heard of, that he predeſtinates, and calls, and iuſti­fies, and glorifies. It is in and for Chriſts ſake, that none can accuſe us, condemne us, ſeparate us from his love. He is the fountaine of all that love, with which it pleaſes God to embrace us. And as all the promiſes, ſo all the bleſſings we enjoy, they are all as ſtreames flowing from that fountaine. All our liberties, priviledges, com­forts, graces; all our ſafety, ſtrength, peace, joy; all our preſerva­tions from dangers, ſupportations in dangers, deliverances out of dangers; In a word, all the good that God has done us; all the good that he intends to doe us, all muſt be acknowledged to come by Chriſt; and by him, praiſe to God muſt be rendred for all; even by him that is our Immanuel, God with us; and by his being with us, ſo for us, as that nothing can be againſt us.

All we have now to examine is no more but this; wherein God hath ſo declared himſelfe to be for his Church, as in times of feare and danger, ſhe may be bold to ſecure her ſelfe under his protecti­on, and confidently reſolve, while he is with her, and for her, none can be againſt her.

I anſwer: God has abundantly done it ſeverall wayes; and thoſe both ordinary, and extraordinary. Ordinarily he has done it vi­res ſuppeditando, by ſupplying her with ſuch a proportionable mea­ſure of power and ſtrength, as ſhe has beene able to deale upon e­quall termes with the ſtrongeſt of her Enemies, and to make her part good with them, in their hotteſt conflicts and aſſaults, for po­licy, for puiſſance, for number, for power, it has many times falne out, that the Churches proviſion, have not beene a whit inferi­our to any of her Enemies.

But his extraordinary wayes are more remarkeable. God has many times uncouth and extraordinary wayes, ſuch as none could ever have expected, invented, imagined, to bring his worke and purpoſe about, as for the peace and ſafety of his Church, ſo for the diſſipation and confuſion of thoſe that have beene her Adver­ſaries.

1. He has done it, animos conciliando; by meekning the hearts of her Adverſaries, and by ſweetly attempering them to a placid and peaceable diſpoſition. Pro. 16.7.When the wayes of a man pleaſe the Lord, ſayes Solomon, he will make his Enemies his friends. Eſau, though he car­ry the heart of an Enemie toward Jacob, yet he ſhall looke upon him when he meets him, with the face of a friend. The ſtroakes and wounds that perhaps he intended, and threatned, they ſhall be turned into kiſſes and ſmiles. You ſee what a ſtrange way he brought the Children of Iſrael out of their Babylonian captivi­ty. Pſal. 126.4.The Pſalmiſt ſayes, He turned their captivity like the water of the South. And how was that? That was by the thawing of the Snow that had lyen all the winter frozen and congeald upon the tops of the Icie mountaines. When at the returne of the Spring, the heate of the Sun had melted and diſſolved it, it brought ſtore of waters down into the dry places of the South, ſo turned the barren deſarts of it into ſtanding pooles. Thus God turned the captivity of his people. He cauſed the hearts of thoſe heathen Princes, Cyrus, and Artaxerxes, and the reſt under whom they had beene held Captives, to relent and melt toward them, ſo as they licenced them to depart, and to returne peaceably into their owne land. And no leſſe ſtrangely by the Chriſtians, in the times of the primitive Church, when they had ſuffered long perſecution under trucu­lent and bloody Tyrants; God at laſt mollifyed their hearts, made them of Wolves to become Lambs, enclined divers of thoſe perſe­cuting Emperours, Adrian, and Traian, and Severus, and others,15 out of tender compaſſion to recall thoſe cruell edicts, that they had publiſhed againſt the poore Chriſtians, not ſuffering them to be executed with ſuch rigour, as formerly they had beene, and in the end reſtored peace to his Church. Pro. 21.1.He that hath the hearts of all men in his hand, can turne them, as he pleaſes, like rivers of waters.

2. He does it, terrorem incutiendo, by ſtriking terror and feare in­to the hearts of the enemy, that they dare not drive on, to do the miſchiefe they would doe. In Exod. 23.28. I will ſend the hornet be­fore thee, ſays the Lord, that ſhal drive out before thee the Hivite & the Canaanite. What Hornet was it that he meant? See the verſe be­fore going; I will ſend my feare before thee, and will deſtroy all the peo­ple to whom thou ſhalt com•. The terrour and feare with which God often ſtrikes the hearts of his enemies it is like the ſting of a Hornet, that takes away their ſpirit and courage from them, and makes them flee when none purſues them. Thus in Jehorams time, when the Syrians with a huge Army came to make warre againſt Iſrael,2 Reg. 7.6. God made them heare a noyſe of Chariots, and a noyſe of Horſes: & the very feare of this ſo amaz'd them, as they left all they had in their tents, and fled for their lives. 1 Sam. 18.2.Thus Saul was reſtrain'd from do­ing any hurt unto David, by reaſon of the feare that God ſtrake his heart withall. He was afraid of David, ſaies the text, becauſe he ſaw that the Lord was with him. And thus the Iews were reſtrained,Luke 19.47. even for f••re of the people, from laying hands upon Chriſt, when they would have apprehended, and put him to death. Strange to ſee, how great ones doe many times ſtand in feare of thoſe that are meaner then themſelves, thoſe who, one would think, ſhould rather ſtand in feare of them; and how few in number God can make to diſperſe exceeding great multitudes. As Jonathan ſaid to his Armour-bearer, when they two, and no more, creeping upon their hands and knees, betweene the teeth of thoſe two rockes, that were in Bozez and Seneh, diſcomfited a Garriſon of the Phili­ſtims; There is no restraint to the Lord to ſave by many, or by few. 1. Sam. 14.6.God promiſed his people that it ſhould be ſo; that he would ſtrike ſuch feare into the hearts of their enemies, that five of them ſhould chaſe a hundred, and a hundred of them put ten thouſand to flight. Levit. 26.8.