Use 2. Comfort in respect of the Church of God: God's Providence reacheth in a more special manner to his Church, Isa. 27.2. Sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. God waters this Vineyard with his Blessings, and watcheth over it by his Providence, I the Lord keep it night and day. Such as think totally to ruin the Church, must do it in a time when it is neither Day nor Night, for the Lord keeps it by his Providence Night and Day. What a miraculous Conduct of Providence had Israel, God led them by a Pillar of Fire, gave them Manna from Heaven, set the Rock abroach. God by his Providence preserves his Church in the midst of Enemies; which is as to see a Spark kept alive in the Ocean, or a Flock of Sheep among Wolves. God saves his Church strangely, 1. By giving Unexpected Mercies to his Church, when she looked for nothing but Ruin, Psal. 126.1. When the Lord turned the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. How strangely did God raise up Queen Esther to preserve alive the Jews, when Haman had got a bloody Warrant signed for their Execution? 2. Strangely by saving in that very way in which we think he will destroy: God works sometimes by Contraries. He raiseth his Church by bringing it low. The Blood of the Martyrs hath watered the Church, and made it more fruitful, Exod. 1.12. The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied: The Church is like that Plant Gregory Nazianzen speaks of, [Greek or Hebrew], it lives by dying, and grows by cutting. 3. Strangely in that he makes the Enemy do his Work: When the People of Amon, and Moab, and Mount Seir came against Judah, God set the Enemy one against another, 2 Chr. 20.23. The children of Amon and Moab, stood up against them of Mount Seir, to slay them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another. In the Powder-Treason he made the Traitors to be their own Betrayers: God can do his work by the Enemies hand. God made the Egyptians send away the People of Israel laden with Jewels, Exod. 12.36. The Church is the Apple of God's Eye, and the Eye-lid of his Providence doth daily cover and defend it.
Use 2. Comfort in respect of the Church of God: God's Providence reacheth in a more special manner to his Church, Isa. 27.2. Sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine. God waters this Vineyard with his Blessings, and watcheth over it by his Providence, I the Lord keep it night and day. Such as think totally to ruin the Church, must do it in a time when it is neither Day nor Night, for the Lord keeps it by his Providence Night and Day. What a miraculous Conduct of Providence had Israel, God led them by a Pillar of Fire, gave them Manna from Heaven, set the Rock abroach. God by his Providence preserves his Church in the midst of Enemies; which is as to see a Spark kept alive in the Ocean, or a Flock of Sheep among Wolves. God saves his Church strangely, 1. By giving Unexpected Mercies to his Church, when she looked for nothing but Ruine, Psal. 126.1. When the Lord turned the captivity of Sion, we were like them that dream. How strangely did God raise up Queen Esther to preserve alive the Iews, when Haman had got a bloudy Warrant sign'd for their Execution? 2. Strangely by saving in that very way in which we think he will destroy: God works sometimes by Contraries. He raiseth his Church by bringing it low. The Bloud of the Martyrs hath watered the Church, and made it more fruitful, Exod. 1.12. The more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied: The Church is like that Plant Gregory Nazianzen speaks of, 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, it lives by dying, and grows by cutting. 3. Strangely in that he makes the Enemy do his Work: When the People of Amon, and Moab, and Mount Seir came against Iudah, God set the Enemy one against another, 2 Chr. 20.23. The children of Amon and Moab, stood up against them of Mount Seir, to slay them; and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one help'd to destroy another. In the Powder-Treason he made the Traytors to be their own Betrayers: God can do his work by the Enemies hand. God made the Aegyptians send away the People of Israel laden with Jewels, Exod. 12.36. The Church is the Apple of God's Eye, and the Eye-lid of his Providence doth daily cover and defend it.
