Now, this is a precedent of God's proceeding in all other engage- ments whatsoever. Whatever it cost him, he will spare nothing to make them good to the uttermost. He is our rock, and his work is perfect. A good man, if he want not power, will go through with his serious promises, though he be engaged to his own hurt, Ps. xv. 4, The power of the mighty God is serviceable to his will to the utter- ' 1 Cor. i. 24. » 1 Pet. i. 12. 3 (joj, jj^ 3,
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114 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE
most. He cannot will what he cannot do : his will and power are essentially the same. And his power shall not be wanting to execute what his goodness hath moved him to engage imto for his own gloiy. The reasons of this are, —
1. Deut. xxxii. 4, "He is the Rock, his work is perfect; all his ways are judg-ment: a God of truth, and without iniquity." Here are many attributes of God to make good this one thing, that his work is perfect, — his aurdpxsia, self-sufficiency, perfection, righteousness. I will pitch on one, — he is a God of truth. So he is again called, Ps. xxxi. 5, and in other places. The truth of God in his promises and engagements requires an accomplishment of them, whatever it cost, what power soever is required thereunto. This the saints make their bottom to seek it: " Where are thy loving-kindnesses, Avhich thou swarest in thy truth," Ps. Ixxxix. 49. It is impossible but that should come to pass which thou hast sworn in thy truth. No stronger plea than " Remember the word wherein thou hast caused thy ser- vants to put their trust." Jacob says, he is less than all the mercy and all the truth of God, Gen. xxxii. 10. He sees God's truth in all his mercy, by causing all things to come to pass which he hath pro- mised him. It is true, some particular promises have their conditions, whose truth consists not in the relation between the word and the thing, unless the condition intercede. But the gi-eat condition under the gospel being only the good of them to whom any engagement is made, we may positively lay down, that God's tmth requkes the ac- complishmeni of every engagement for his people's good, Rom. viii. 28. It is neither mountain nor hill, king, kingdom, nor nation, hell nor mortality, nor all combined, that can stand in the way to hinder it, Matt. xvL 18.
2. His peoi:)le stand in need of all that God hath engaged himself to them for. God's promises are the just measure of his people's wants. Whatever he hath promised, that his people do absolutely want ; and whatsoever they want, that he hath promised : — our wants and his promises are every way commensurate. If thou knowest not what thou standest in need of, search the promises and see : what- ever God hath said he will do for thee, that thou hast absolute neetl should be done. Or if thou art not so well acquainted with the pro- mises, search thine o^vn wants : what thou standest absolutely in need of for thy good, that assm-edly God hath promised. If, then, this be the case of engagements, they shall all be made good. Thuik you, will God let his people want that whicli they have absolute necessity of? By absolute necessity I mean such as is indispensable, as to their present estate and occasions. That may be of necessity in one generation which is not in another, according to the sevex-al emjiloy- meuts we are called to. Does God call fonli his saints "to execute
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vengeance u]3on the heathen, and punishments upon the j)eople ; to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron ; to execute upon them the judgment written," as Ps. cxHx. 7-9 ? — dotli he bring them forth to burn the whore, to fight with the beast, and overcome him and his followers? — it is of indispensable necessity that he give them glorious assistance in thek undertakings. They shall be assisted, protected, carried on, though it cost him the making of liis boAV quite naked. According to the several conditions he calls them to, the several issues of providence which he will have them serve in, so want they his appearance in them, with them, for them ; and it shall be present. Let them be assured they are in his way, and then, though some prove false and treacherous, some base and cowardly, — though many combine and associate themselves against til em in many places, in all places, — though whole kingdoms and mighty armies appear for their ruin, — be they reviled and clamoured by all round about them, — all is one ; help they need, and help they shall have, or God will make his bow quite naked.
Use. 1. This day is this doctrine fulfilled before us. God's bow is made quite naked, according to his word. We are less than all the truth he hath showed unto us. Though gi'eat working and mighty power hath been required, such as he hath not shown in our days, nor in the days of our fathers; yet the Lord hath not stood at it, for his word's sake, wherein he hath made us to put our trust. I speak of the general mercies we have received. The surrender of Colchester, the particular celebrated this day, though marching in the rear for time, is for the weight in the van, — a mercy of the first magnitude. Essex hath seen more power in a three months' recovery than in the protection of six years. That the mouths of men are stopped, and their faces filled with shame, who made it their trade to revile and threaten the saints of God ; — that the adverse strength, which hath lain hid these seven years, should be drawn forth, united, and broken to pieces; — that the people of God, divided, and naturally exasperated through then- abuse of peace, should, by the sword of a common enemy and the help of a common friend, have their wrath abated, their counsels united, and their persons set in a hopeful way of closing or forbearance; — that God by their own counsels should shut up men, collected from sundry parts to ruin others, in a city with gates and walls, for their own ruin ; — that they should deny peace tendered upon such conditions, because of the exigencies of the time, as might have left them power as well as will for a farther mischief ; — that such sal- vation should go forth in other parts as that the proceedings here should not be interrupted ; — that the bitter service which men here under^vent should ever and anon be sweetened with refreshing tidings from other places, to keep up their spirits in wet, watcliing, cold, and