The new covenantThe nevv covenant

What though he suffer men to prevail against it, (as you see how the Adversaries prevail against the Church of God by their strength) yet, if you did see him in his All-sufficiency, your hearts would not fail you a jot. You may either apply it to the Churches, or to your own particular cases. (And to give you yet an instance of these sensible things.) When the disease prevailed far on Hezekiah; saith the Lord, thou seest Hezekiah what I can do, I will make the shadow to go backwards. Think with thy self; Though the disease be gone thus far, yet I, that make the shadow to go backwards, am I not able to make thy disease to return? And so we may say of any trouble, or affliction, of any temptation, or cross that lies on yo•, that you think it so far gone, that there is no recalling of it again, yet he that made the shadow to go backward, is he not able to reduce it? And so again, when you see the Church in such a case as it is now in, we are ready to cast away all hope, and to say, What shall we do? Beloved, consider that which was said to Gideon (as we are ready to say, when we say the Lord is All-sufficient, he hath enough, if he be with us, we desire no more) we make the objection with Gideon thus; If the Lord be wish us, why is it thus? Why is Israel oppressed? Saith the Lord to Gideon, thou shalt see what I am able to do, when the ⟨p. 99⟩Fleece is dry, all the earth shall be wet, and when the earth shall be dry, the Fleece shall be wet. That is; As if he had said; Though the Church now be overflown, yet I can dry it up, and lay misery upon them. As again, that little Church, that little Fleece, when that was in peace, they were afflicted, as they were in peace when that was afflicted.¹ The like, you see, in Gen. 15. where there is another resemblance of the Church, when the Sacrifices were cut in pieces, and he had divided the Rams; saith the Text, the Fowls come and would have devoured them. There are two similitudes of the troubles of the Church, and Gods rescuing them. When the Crows came, Abraham drove them away. That was one. And the other was, when there was a very fearful darkness, there came a Burning Furnace, and a Lamp. The meaning is this;

What though he suffer men to prevayle against it, (as you see how the Adversaries prevayle against the Church of God by their strength) yet, if you did see him in his All-sufficiencie, your hearts would not fayle you a jot. You may either apply it to the Churches, or to your own particular cases. (And to giue you yet an instāce of these sensible things.) When the disease prevayled farre on Hezekiah; sayth the Lord, thou seest Hezekiah what I can do, I will make the shadow to goe backwards. Thinke with thy selfe; Though the disease be gone thus farre, yet I, that make the shadow to goe backwards, am I not able to make thy disease to returne? And so we may say of any trouble, or affliction, of any temptation, or crosse that lyes on yo, that you thinke it so farre gone, that there is no recalling of it againe, yet he that made the shadow to goe backward, is he not able to reduce it? And so againe, when you see the Church in such a case as it is now in, we are readie to cast away all hope, and to say, What shall we doe? Beloved, consider that which was sayd to Gideon (as we are readie to say, when we say the Lord is All-sufficient, he hath enough, if he be with vs, we desire no more) we make the objection with Gideon thus; If the Lord be wish vs, why is it thus? Why is Israell oppressed? Sayth the Lord to Gideon, thou shalt see what I am able to doe, when the