The glory and interest of nations professing the Gospel preached at a private fast,…

1. The presence of Christ with any people, is the Glory of any people. This is the glory here spoken of, as is evident to any one that will but read over the second verse, and consider its influence into these words. The branch of the Lord shall be to them beautiful and glorious, and upon all the glory shall be a defence.

2. The presence of God in special providence over a people, attends the presence of Christ in grace with a people; if Christ the glory be with them, a defence shall be upon them; what lies else in allusion to the mercy-seat, not drawn forth in these propositions, may be afterwards insisted on.

For the first; what I pray else should be so. This is their Glory or they have none; is it in their number, that they are great, many, and populous? God thinks not so, nor did he when he gave an account of his thoughts of his ⟨p. 7⟩People of old, Deut. 7. 7. The Lord did not set his love upon you nor chose you, because you were more in number then any people, for you were the fewest of all people. God made no reckoning of numbers; he chose that People that was fewest of all. He esteemed well of them, when they were but a few men in number, yea very few and strangers; Psal. 105. 12. You know what it cost David in being seduced by Satan into the contrary opinion. He thought the glory of his People had been in their number, and caused them to be reckoned; but God taught him his error, by taking off with a dreadful judgement no small portion of the number he sought after. There is nothing more common in the Scripture then for the Lord to speak contempt of the multitude of any people, as a thing of nought; and he takes pleasure to confound them by weak and despised means. Is it in their wisdom and counsel, their understanding for the ordering of their affairs? Is that their glory? Why, see how God derides the Prince of Tyre, who was lifted up with an apprehension hereof; and counted himself as God, upon that account;