The more beauty and desirableness any desig'n against the Lord Christ is clothed withal, the more power and subtlety it is supported with, the greater is the bright- ness of his coming for its wasting and desolation. With what deceivableness of unrighteousness and lies in hypocrisy the late grand attempt of those in Scotland, with their adherents (which also was of the former, and is gone into destruction), was carried on, is in some measure now made naked, to the loathing of its abomi- nations. In digging deep to lay a foundation for blood and revenge, — in covering private and sordid ends with a pretence of things public and glorious, — in limning a face of religion upon a worldly stock, — in concealing distant aims and bloody animosities to compass one common end, that a theatre might be provided to act several parts upon, — in pleading a necessity from an oath of God unto most despe- rate undertakings against God, and such like things as these, perhaps it gives not place to any which former ages have been acquainted withal. Now, to reject all the claims of the authors and abettors thereof to any commission from above, to divest them of all pretences to religion and zeal thereof, to disappoint them in their expected associations, and to make all their strength to become as tow that hath smelt the fire, hath been His work alone who takes to himself his great power to carry on the interest of his kingdom against all opposers. Under the shadow of this mercy — composed of as many branches of wisdom, power, goodness, and faith- fulness, as any outward dispensation hath brought forth since the name of Chris- tian was known — do you now sit in council, and the residue of the nation in peace. What obligations from the Lord, what cords of love are upon us ! The returnal and improvement of all his dealings ^s'lth us, which he requireth and expecteth from us, 1 have pointed you unto in the following sermon For the present I shall
SI 4 THE EPISTLE DEDICATORY.
only add, that as whatever there hath been of beauty, f^lory, or advantage unto the people of God, in the late transactions, hath been eminently of undeserved grace ; so the dreadful vengeance which the Lord hath executed against the men of his enmity and warfare hath been most righteously procured, by their clothing cursed designs of revenge, persecution, bondage in soul and body, spoil and rapine, with the most glorious pretences of zeal, covenant, reformation, and such like things, — whicia never came into their hearts. Therefore, that the God of all our mercies and deliverances would for ever keep alive in your hearts a faithful acknowledg- ment of his grace, and a practical detestation of those ways which are such a pro- vocation to the eyes of his glory, shall be the constant prayer of
Your most humble Servant
In our di-'arcst Lord,
J. OWKN.
Fivo.M MY Study, Cii. Cn., Oxcv.,
-lYciC. 7.
SERMON yil.
THE ADVANTAGE OF THE KINGDOM OF CHRIST IN THE SHAKING OF THE KINGDOMS OF THE WORLD.
" And all the trees of the field shall know that I the Lord have brought down the high tree, have exalted the low tree, have dried up the green tree, and have made the dry tree to flourish: I the Lord have spoken, and have done it. — EzEK. xvii. 24.
Although all the works of God's providence — which are great, and sought out of all that have pleasure in them, Ps. cxi. 2 — have such a stainp and impress of his own image on them, his wisdom, goodness, poAver, love, that they declare their author, and reveal from heaven his kindness and wimh towards the children of men;^ yet such are the prejudices, lusts, inordinacy of affections, and interest of many, that it hath always been a long and difficult task to convince them of his presence in them, when it hath been most uncontrollably evident. The Egyptians will ^vrestle with many a plague, by thinking the " magicians" can do so;^ and the Philistines will try to the utmost whether it be his hand, or a chance that happened to them.* " Lord," saith the prophet, " Avhen thy hand is lifted up, they will not see,'* Isa. xxvi. 11. Yea, oftentimes (especially when judicial blindness is gone forth upon them),* though they cannot but see his arm awaked as of old, and made bare, they will not rest in his sovereign disposal of things, but rise up against the works of his revenge and holiness ; like wild beasts that are pursued, when all ways of escape and turning are shut up, they fly in the face of him that follows them. They repent not of their evil deeds, but bite their tong-ues for anger, and blaspheme the God of heaven. Rev. xvi. 10, 11. Yea, such is the power of deceivable lusts, that many will admire at the blindness of others in former generations who considered not the works of God (as the Jews in the wilderness), when themselves are under actual contempt of no less glorious dispensations; like the Pharisees, who
' Fs. xix. 1, 2; Rom. i. 20; Acts xiv. 16, 17. = Excel, vii. 11, 1?.
3 1 Sam. vi. 9. * Isa. vi. 9, 10.