The glorious name of God, The Lord of Hosts opened in two sermons, at…

There have been times wherein the Lord hath dealt in another manner, even with his own people: & that I may set forth unto you the fullness and freeness of Gods goodness to us in our preservation, from being delivered up to the rage of vile men: I will show you what the severity of God in this kind hath been towards his own people who were as worthy of mercy as we. We must not think that every particular is to be appliable to us only in the general; thus far the consideration of the grievous afflictions of the Church formerly, sets out Gods goodness to us in preventing such evils amongst us: So that it cannot be said it is with us as it was with them. Not long after God had delivered his people out of their Captivity, therein fulfilling many gracious promises to them, and they being returned, built the Temple and the walls of Jerusalem, there was a glorious reformation, the work of the Lord went on prosperously, through many and great difficulties. Yet after a little time, when Antiochus rose up against them, God suffered him to prevail exceedingly in all his Warlike affairs against them. Dan. 8. 9. There came a little horn, which waxed exceeding great, not only towards the South, and towards the East, but towards the pleasant Land, that is, towards the Land of Judea, for indeed it was a pleasant Land. The word signifies Decus, gloria, ornamentum, towards the glory and ornament of the whole world. So was that Country especially in regard the worship of God had been newly set up again in that Country: Yet Antiochus comes against it, and waxeth great for a while, although at first he was but a little horn, for he was a younger brother, and had been a prisoner not long ⟨p. 107⟩before in Rome, but now having got liberty and some command, he rageth especially against the people of God, ver. 10. He waxed great even to the Host of heaven. Here the Church is called The Host of heaven; howsoever despised by the world, yet this Lord of Hosts accounts his Church The Host of heaven, and yet Antiochus waxeth great against this.

There have been times wherein the Lord hath dealt in another manner, even with his own people: & that I may set forth unto you the fulnesse and freenesse of Gods goodnesse to us in our preservation, from being delivered up to the rage of vile men: I will shew you what the severity of God in this kinde hath been towards his own people who were as worthy of mercy as we. We must not think that every particular is to be applyable to us onely in the generall; thus far the consideration of the grievous afflictions of the Church formerly, sets out Gods goodnes to us in preventing such evils amongst us: So that it cannot be said it is with us as it was with them. Not long after God had delivered his people out of their Captivity, therein fulfilling many gracious promises to them, and they being returned, built the Temple and the wals of Jerusalem, there was a glorious reformation, the work of the Lord went on prosperously, through many and great difficulties. Yet after a little time, when Antiochus rose up against them, God suffered him to prevaile exceedingly in all his Warlike affaires against them.