A sermon of spiritual life and death Preached before the king, at White-Hal, November,…A sermon of spirituall life and death Preached before the king, at White-Hal, Nouember,…

we may fall out and in at home, and the vicissitude of fair and foul weather within our own Horizon may pass away and blow over, as I hope it will, and I pray God it may: yet in the mean time, if any of the Churches be swallowed up, you know that it is a thing that cannot be recalled: and therefore let us do our best, and do it in time. And this I will be bold to say for our encouragement, they are the Churches of God; and there is a God in heaven that tenders them, and he is a God that ^sdelights to be seen in the Mount, even when things are past hope; and though their enemies be exceeding great and mighty; yet when they go about to oppress the Church, they are as an ^theap of straw that goes about to oppress a Coal of fire that will consume them; or as one that devoureth a cup of poison that will prove his death; or as one that goes about to overthrow a great stone that will fall down again and bruise him to powder: they are all the Scriptures expressions, as you shall find them in Zach. 12. though we have not leisure to quote the particular places. So, I say, will the Lord deal with the enemies of his ⟨p. 27⟩Church, and will preserve her: Therefore let this hope encourage us to do it: and for those who have greatest power and opportunity of doing good in this business, let them consider that excellent speech of Mordecai to Esther, Esther 4. 24. saith Mordecai to her, If thou holdest thy tongue at this time, deliverance shall appear to the Jews from another place, but thou and thy house shall perish. The meaning is this; there was then an opportunity of doing good to the Church, (you know then what extremity the Jews were in;) therefore saith he, if thou do it not, Thou and thine house shall perish. So if any be impediments; nay if they do not their best; I pronounce this in the name of the most true God, that will make it good sooner or later, They and their houses shall perish: they shall be as the straw we spake of before, that oppresseth the Coal of fire. So I say again on the other side; if they seek to deliver the Churches from their and her enemies, there is this great advantage in it, it will move God to deliver them from their enemies again, and to deliver them: as Solomon saith; ^u