There is Gods hand, Gods arm,1 the arm of his strength, & God sweareth by it.2 Surely when God delighteth to put forth such power for the deliverance of his Church, it is no great matter whether the afflicted estate be great or small. It makes no great matter for the hinderance of the Churches delivery, no more then if you should see two bubbles of water rise up, & one hath a little thicker skin then the other. Now there is as much difference in the difficulty that the thick skin bubble makes when a mighty Cannon or piece of Ordnance shall be shot off with a mighty Bullet to resist it, from the thinner skin bubble, as the greatest and forest affliction that the people of God were ever under in this world makes a difference in the difficulty of their deliverance (when they have to deal with an infinite God) from the least affliction that ever the Church was in. The difference is no more. If a child indeed should see the thicker skin bubble, he might think tis harder to be broke then the thinner skin, but if a Cannon should be shot off, nay if it be but a Fillip, it makes no difference. Now the afflictions of Gods people they are to this right hand of Gods power, and the arm of his strength, but as a bubble of water before a mighty Cannon. Yea if there be not help at all to deliver Gods people in time of affliction yet God can create help, He will create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and their people a joy. Yea suppose their condition be such as yet never was the like since the beginning of the world, yet Isa, 64. 4. Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the care, •either hath the eye seen what God hath prepared for them that wait for him. And as the greatness of the Churches deliverance is no hinderance of Gods power in delivering them, so it should be no hinderance to the work of our faith. Common prudence and reason will go a great way to uphold us under some affliction, but when the affliction comes to be sore, and grievous, and long; prudence & reason then sinketh under the burden; but then should faith lift up it self, and cast an eye upon this right hand of Gods power, this arm of his strength that he hath sworn by, and exercise it self in the glorious acts of it. For certainly faith is appointed for such a time as this, when the Church is under grievous extremities.
There is Gods hand, Gods arme,1 the arme of his strength, & God sweareth by it.2 Surely when God delighteth to put forth such power for the deliverance of his Church, it is no great matter whether the afflicted estate be great or small. It makes no great matter for the hinderance of the Churches delivery, no more then if you should see two bubbles of water rise up, & one hath a little thicker skin then the other. Now there is as much difference in the difficulty that the thick skin bubble makes when a mighty Cannon or peece of Ordnance shal be shot off with a mighty Bullet to resist it, from the thinner skin bubble, as the greatest and forest affliction that the people of God were ever under in this world makes a difference in the difficulty of their deliverance (when they have to deale with an infinite God) from the least affliction that ever the Church was in. The difference is no more. If a childe indeed should see the thicker skin bubble, he might thinke tis harder to be broke then the thinner skin, but if a Cannon should be shot off, nay if it be but a Fillip, it makes no difference. Now the afflictions of Gods people they are to this right hand of Gods power, and the arme of his strength, but as a bubble of water before a mighty Cannon. Yea if there be not help at all to deliver Gods people in time of affliction yet God can create helpe, He will create Jerusalem a rejoycing, and their people a joy. Yea suppose their condition be such as yet never was the like since the beginning of the world, yet Isa, 64. 4. Since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the care, •either hath the eye seene what God hath prepared for them that waite for him. And as the greatnesse of the Churches deliverance is no hinderance of Gods power in delivering them, so it should be no hinderance to the work of our faith. Common prudence and reason will go a great way to uphold us under some affliction, but when the affliction comes to be sore, and grievous, and long; prudence & reason then sinketh under the burthen; but then should faith lift up it selfe, and cast an eye upon this right hand of Gods power, this arme of his strength that he hath sworne by, and exercise it self in the glorious acts of it. For certainly faith is appointed for such a time as this, when the Church is under grievous extremities.
- 1Lect. 6.
- 2The greatness of the Churches affliction is no hinderance to the deliverance of it.
