A word in season to this present generation, or, A sober and serious discourse…

Seventhly, the Lord doth manifest his favourable, signal, and eminent presence to his People, in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, by preserving them from troubles in the midst of troubles, from dangers in the midst of dangers. Dan. 3. 25. He answered, and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God. The presence of the Son of God preserves these three valiant Champions from dangers in the midst of dangers; They fell down bound in the fiery Furnace (saith my Author) and ¹they walked loose in the midst of the fire without any hurt, for the Angel of the Lord descended together with them in the same moment, who shook the flames of the fire forth out of the Furnace, and preserved the Servants of God safe without any trouble, being cooled as it were with a de• coming upon them in a pleasant manner. But give me leave to say, that these words [One like the Son of God,] doth not argue that in this vision there was not a representation of the Son of God to ⟨p. 37⟩come afterwards in the flesh; but rather, that this great mystery was here showed for the greater comfort of the faithful, that they might courageously bear all their sufferings, having the Prince and Head both of Angels and men present with them herein to mitigate their pains and carry them through with joy; this being a greater wonder of grace and love, then to have the protection of a mere Angel; concerning whose power also, whether he can change the nature of fire, that it shall not burn, is very doubtful and questionable, seeing this argueth omnipotency, which is in God alone, and not communicable to any Creature. Where by the way you may observe a strong and solid argument, to prove that Jesus is the Son of God, against all gainsayers, thus: He whom Nebuchadnezzar saw in the fiery Furnace, was the Son of God in an humane shape; but he was typically Jesus, ²ergo, &c. The Major is proved, because he did that which none but God could do, viz. he qualified the most fierce and raging fire, which burnt up some, coming but near it, and had no power at the same instant of time, so much as to sing a hair of the heads of others; The Minor is proved also, because God appearing in a glorious humane. shape at any time, was not God the Father or Holy Ghost, but God the Son;