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

Eighthly, The Lord doth manifest his favourable, signal and eminent presence with his People, in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, by frustrating and disappointing the plots, designs, counsels and contrivances of their powerful, subtle, secret, and malicious Adversaries, who would fain be multiplying of their troubles, sorrows, sufferings, ¹and miseries upon them, Nehem. 4. 8. And conspired all of them together, to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it. Verse 11. And our adversaries said, they shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst amongst them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease. Verse 15. And it came to pass, when our Enemies knew that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsels to nought, &c. The craft of the Churches Enemies, is never but accompanied with cruelty, and their cruelty is seldom without craft; the Devil lends them his seven heads to plot, and his seven horns to push; but in the things wherein they deal proudly God is above them, and by his presence with his People, he ⟨p. 46⟩brings all their plots, counsels, and enterprises to naught: The Gunpowder Traitors betrayed themselves, and all came to light, though they had digged as low as hell, to hide their counsels from the Lord. The Enemies of the Jews in Nehemiah's time made great brags at first what they would do, but when they saw their plots discovered, and their purposes defeated, they are presently crest-fallen, and have no mind nor courage to advance at all; so that to these Plotters may be fitly applied, that which Guicciardin saith of Charles the Eight, King of France, in his expedition against Naples: That he came into the field like thunder and lightning, but went out like a snuff; more than a Man at first,. and less than a Woman at last. In all the Ages of the World, the heads, the wits, the hands, the hearts and the tongues of the wicked have been engaged against the Just; they have been still a plotting and devising mischief against the favourites of heaven (as if Rebels could meddle with none but the Children of a King) and yet Gods signal presence with his People, in point of affection and protection has blasted all their designs, and frustrated all their counsels; as the rage of wicked Men against the Saints have been endless, so it has been fruitless, because God has been in the midst of them.