A sermon pressing to, and directing in, that great duty of praising God. Preached…

2. This work had somewhat of a wonder in it, because done by a small appearance of humane power, ⟨p. 16⟩because done (as was touched before) by the lame or by little strength. That which is done without the concurrence of any visible means, is a miracle; And that which is done with the concurrence of little visible means, is a marvel. It was not surely any plot of man, but a plot of providence it seems to be, That the greatest part of our force was in that nick of time with-drawn upon necessary occasions far off. If a greater power had been there, the wonder had been the less. For though the greatest earthly strength is as weak to any work as the least, and as unable to effect it unless God be with them (and so they who are spiritual will confess, when they have most of an arm of flesh with them) yet then the conviction comes most clearly upon us, that God is much in any work when we see little of man in it. And that was the reason why the Lord took off all Gideons Army, except three hundred, in his undertaking against the Midianites: when Gideon had gathered a gallant army of thirty thousand, the Lord said unto him (Judg. 7. 2.) The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt himself against me, saying, mine own hand hath saved me. We may hear such words from God spoken aloud, though not formally, yet virtually, in this dispensation. And therefore let us say, as it is often said (Psal. 107.) O praise the Lord, for his goodness, and for his wonderful works, which he doth for the children of men, especially for that which he hath lately done for us upon the great waters, there many saw the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep (v. 23, 24.)

2. This work had somewhat of a wonder in it, because done by a small appearance of humane power, ⟨p. 16⟩because done (as was toucht before) by the lame or by little strength. That which is done without the concurrence of any visible means, is a miracle; And that which is done with the concurrence of little visible means, is a marveile. It was not surely any plot of man, but a plot of providence it seems to be, That the greatest part of our force was in that nick of time with-drawn upon necessary occasions far off. If a greater power had been there, the wonder had been the lesse. For though the greatest earthly strength is as weak to any work as the least, and as unable to effect it unlesse God be with them (and so they who are spirituall will confesse, when they have most of an arme of flesh with them) yet then the conviction comes most clearly upon us, that God is much in any work when we see little of man in it. And that was the reason why the Lord took off all Gideons Army, except three hundred, in his undertaking against the Midianites: when Gideon had gathered a gallant army of thirty thousand, the Lord said unto him (