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engaged himself to stand by his people, and make them victorious, over the greatest and wisest of their enemies.* Associate yourselves, (saith the Lord by the prophet,) O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces, and give ear, all of far countries: gird yourselves and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought. Speak the word, and it shall not stand, for God is with us, Is. viii. 9, 10. Fear not thou worm Jacob,' &c. Is. xli. 14-16. 'No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against the judgment thou shalt condemn,' Is. liv. 17. Now also many nations are gathered together against thee, that say, Let her be defiled, and let our eye look upon Zion. But they know not the thoughts of the Lord, neither understand they his counsel, for he shall gather them as sheaves into the floor, Mic. iv. 11-13. Pehold, I will make Jerusalem a cup | of trembling unto all the people round about, when they shall be in the siege both against Judah and against Jerusalem,' Zech. xii. 2, 3.

Rem. 3. Solemnly consider, that you cannot engage against the saints, but you must engage. against God, by reason of that near and blessed union that is between God and them. You can

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They may be killed, but they cannot be conquered, said Cyprian of the Christians in his time."

not fight against the saints, but you will be found at the close of the account to have fought against God himself: and what greater madness, than for weakness itself to fight against Omnipotent strength? The near union that is between the Lord and believers, is set forth by the union that subsists between husband and wife.* (They two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church'). 'We are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones,' saith the apostle. It is set forth by the union that is between the head and the members, which make up one body; and by the union there is between the graft and the stock, which are made one by incision. The union between the Lord and his people is so near, that you cannot strike a believer, but the Lord is sensible of it, and takes it as done to himself. Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?' Acts ix. 4. And in all their afflictions he was afflicted,' &c. Is. lxiii. 9. Ah souls! who ever engaged against God, and prospered? Who ever took up the sword against him, but perished by it? God can speak or nod you to hell in a mo⚫ment; it will be your greatest wisdom to lay down your weapons at his feet, and to kiss the

The soul's happiness consists not in any thing, but in its union with God; and its misery lies not so much in any thing, as in its disunion from God.

Son lest he be angry, and you perish from the way,' Ps. ii. 12.

Rem. 4. Again consider, that you are much indebted to the saints (as instruments) for the mercies you now enjoy, and for preventing many judgments that otherwise might have been your ruin before now.* Were it not for the sake of the saints, God would quickly make the heavens as brass, and the earth as iron; he would quickly strip thee of thy robes of glory, and set thee upon the dunghill with Job. They are the pillars that bear up the world, and keep it from falling about thy ears, and prevent the iron rod from breaking thy bones. Therefore he said that he would destroy them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the breach, to turn away his wrath, lest he should destroy them,' Ps.

cvi. 23.

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Had not the saints many a time cast themselves into the breach between God and you, you had been cut off from the land of the living, and received your portion with those, whose names are perishing in the dust. Many nations, cities, and families, are surrounded with blessings for the Josephs' sakes that live therein; and

* He could have what he would of God, said one concerning Luther.

Prayer is the gate of heaven, a key to let us into Paradise. "When the danger is over, the saint is forgotten;" is a French Proverb, and is what many saints in England have found true by experience.

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are preserved from calamities for the Moses's, the Daniels, the Noahs, and the Jobs' sakes who dwell among them. That is a sweet word, Prov. v. 25, As the whirlwind passeth, so is the wicked no more; but the righteous is an everlasting foundation; or, is the foundation of the world.' The righteous are the foundation of the world, which but for their sakes would soon totter and fall to ruin. So the Psalmist, Ps. lxxv. 3, The earth and all the inhabitants thereof are dissolved, I bear up the pillars of it. Selah.'

The emperor Marcus Antonius being in Almany with his army, was inclosed in a dry country by the enemy, who stopped all the passages, so that he and his army were like to perish for want of water; the emperor's lieutenant seeing him so distressed, told him, that he had heard that the Christians could obtain any thing of their God by their prayers: whereupon the emperor having a legion of Christians in his army, desired them to pray to their God, for his and the army's delivery out of that danger; which they presently did, and quickly a great thunder fell among the enemies, and abundance of water among the Romans, whereby their thirst was quenched, and the enemy overthrown without any battle. I shall close up this last remedy with those sweet words of the Psalmist; In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel: in Salem also is his tabernacle, and his

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dwelling place in Sion. There brake he the arrows of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the battle. Selah.' Ps. lxxvi. 1-3.

CHAPTER III.

The third Device that Satan hath to ensnare and destroy the learned and the wise, and that

sometimes

BY setting them to pride themselves in their learning and abilities;* sometimes by inducing them to rest upon them; sometimes by causing them to make light of those who may be deficient in these things, though they excel them in grace and holiness; sometimes by prevailing with them to engage their learning and abilities against the honour of Christ, the joy of the Spirit, the advancement of the gospel, and the liberty of the saints, &c.-Now the remedies against this device are these:

Remedy 1. Against this device of Satan seriously consider, that you have nothing but what you have received: Christ is the fountain of common gifts, as well as of saving grace.

* John v. 44. 1 Kings xii. 22—25. 1 Cor. i. 18—29: The truth of this you may see in the learned Scribes and Pharisees.

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