124 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE
they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint," Isa. xl. 28-31.
(2.) To convince the unbelieving world itself of his power, providence, and love to them that put their trust in him, that they may be found to cry, " Verily there is a reward for the righteous; verily he is a God that judgeth in the earth," Ps. Iviii. 11. When the Egyptian magi- cians see real miracles, beyond all their juggling pretences, they cry out, '' This is the finger of God," Exod. viii. 19. Profane Nebuchad- nezzar, beholding the deliverance of those three worthies from the fiery furnace, owns them for the " servants of the most high God," Dan. iii. 26. Daniel being preserved in the lions' den, Darius ackn owl edge th the power and kingdom of " the living God," Dan. vi. 26. Glorious appearances of God for his people, beyond the reach of reason, wrest from the world amazement or acknowledgment; and in both God is exalted. He Avill appear in such distresses, as that he will be seen of his very enemies. They shall not be able, with the Philistines, to question whether it be his hand or a chance happened to them, 1 Sam. vi. 9; but conclude, with the Egyi")tians, that fly they must, for God fights for his people, Exod. xiv. 25. If God should never give blessings but in such a way as reason might discover their de- pendence on secondary causes, men would not see his goings, nor acknowledge his operations. But when he mightily makes bare his arm, in. events beyond their imaginations, they must vail before him.
Use 1. Consider whether the mercy celebrated this day ought not to be placed in tins series of deliverances, brought from beyond the ken of sense and reason, from above the reach of much precious faith. For the latter, I leave it to your own experience ;- — to the fomier let me for the present desire your consideration of these five things.
(1.) By whom you were surprised and put under restraint. Now these were of two sorts: [1.] The heads and leaders; [2.] The tumul- tuous multitude.
[1.] For the first, some of them being dead, and some under du- rance, I shall not say any thing. " Nullum cum victis certamen, et aithere cassis." I leave the stream from the flint to your own thoughts.
[2.] For the midtitude, — an enraged, headless, lawless, godless mul- titude, gathered out of inns, taverns, alehouses, stables, highways, and the like nurseries of piety and pity. Such as these having got their superiors under their power, governors under their disposal, their re- strainers under their restraint, their oppressors, as they thought, under their fury, — what was it that kept in their fury and their revenge, which upon the like occasions and advantages hath almost always been executed? Search your stories,— you will not find many that speak of such a deliverance. For a few governors prevailed on unto durance, by a godless rout, in an insurrection, and yet come
OF ESSEX COUNTY, AND COMMITTEE. 125
off in peace and safety, is surely a work of more than ordinary pro- vidence.
(2.) Consider the season of your surprisal; — when all the kingdom was in an uproar, and the arm of flesh almost quite withered as to supply, — the north invaded, the south full of insurrections, Wales un- subdued,^ the great city at least suffering men to lift up their hands against us; so that, to the eye of reason, the issue of the whole was, if not lost, yet exceedingly hazardous, and so your captivity endless. Had they gone on, as was probable they would, whether you had this day been brought out to execution, or thrust into a dungeon, or carried up and doAvn as a pageant, I know not; but much better condition, I am sure, rationally you could not expect.
(3.) The end of your surprisal. Amongst others, this was appa- rently one, to be a reserve for their safety who went on in all ways of ruin. You were kept to preserve them in those ways wherein they perished. Whether could reason reach this or no, that you being in their power, kept on purpose for their rescue if brought to any great strait, with the price of your heads to redeem their own, — that they should be brought to greater distress than ever any before in this kingdom, and you be delivered, without the least help to them in their need? It was beyond your friends' reason, who could not hope it; — it was beyond our enemies' reason, who never feared it: if you believed it, you have the comfort of it.
(4) The refusal of granting an exchange for such persons as they accounted more considerable than yourselves, and whose enlargement might have advantaged the cause they professed to maintain exceed- ingly more than your restraint, — what doth it but proclaim your in- tended ruin? This was the way of deliverance which for a long season reason chiefly rested on, the main pillar of all its building; — which, when it was cut in two, what could be seen in it but desolation.
(5.) The straits you luere at length reduced to, between your ene- mies' swords and your friends' bullets, which, intended for your deli- verance, without the safeguard of Providence might have been your ruin, piercing more than once the hovise wherein you were. Surely it was, then, an eminent work of faith, to " stand still, and see the salvation of God."