142 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE
him and his followers? It is of indispensable necessity, that he gives them glorious assistance in their undertakings. They shall be assisted, protected, carried on, though it cost him the making of his bow quite naked. According to the se- veral conditions he calls them to, the several issues of pro- vidence 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 them 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 shewed unto us. Though great working and mighty power hath been required, such as he hath not shewn 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 march- ing 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 Jiid these seven years, should be drawn forth, united, and broken to pieces ; that the people of God, divided, and na- turally exasperated through their 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, col- lected 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
OF ESSEX COUNTY, AND COMMITTEE. 143
a farther mischief; that such salvation should go forth in other parts, as that the proceedings here should not be in- terrupted ; that the bitter service which men here underwent, should ever and anon be sweetened with refreshing tidings from other places, to keep up their spirits in wet, watching, cold, and loss of blood : all these, I say, and sundry other such-like things as these, are * the Lord's doing, and mar- vellous in our eyes.'
Especially let us remember how in three things the Lord made his bow quite naked in his late deliverance.
(1.) In leavening the counsels of the enemy with their own folly.
(2.) In ordering all events to his own praise.
(3.) By controlling with his mighty power the issue of all undertakings.
(1.) In leavening their counsels with their own folly. 'God's power, and the efficacy of his providence, is not more clearly manifested in any thing than in his effectual work- ing in the debates, advices, consultations, and reasonings of his enemies, compassing his ends by their inventions. When God is in none of the thoughts of men by his fear, he is in them all by his providence. The sun is operative with his heat, when he reacheth not with his light, and hath an influence on precious minerals, in the depths and dark bottoms of rocks and mountains. The all-piercing provi- dence of God, dives into the deep counsels of the hearts of the sons of men, and brings our precious gold from thence, where the gracious light of his countenance shines not at all. Men freely advise, debate, use, and improve their own rea- sons, wisdom, interests, not once casting an eye to the Al- mighty, and yet all this while do his work, more than their own. All the counsellings, plottings of Joseph's brethren, all the transactions of the Jews, Herod, and Pilate, about the death of Christ, with other the like instances, abun- dantly prove it."^ Take a few instances, wherein God 'made his bow quite naked' in the counsels of his and our enemies.
In general they consult to take arms, wherein God had fully
1 Quod homines peccant eorum est, quod peccando hoc vel iilud agant ex virtute Dei est, tenebras prout visum est dividentis. August, de prad. Oportet hasreses esse, sed tamen non ideo bonum hfereses, quia eas esse oportebat, quasi non et ma- lum oportuerit esse ; nam et dominum tradi oportebat, sed vae traditori. Terlul. praBf. ad Hicr:
rGen. xlv. 7. 1.20. Acts iv. 27, 28.
144 A ME.MORIAJ. OF Tilt DELIVERAXCE
appeared against them, uhen in all probability their work would have been done without. Had they not fought, by this time they had been conquerors. One half year's peace more, which we desired on any terms, and they would on no terms bear, in all likelihood had set them where they would be. Tiieir work went on, as if they had hired the kingdom to serve them in catching weather. What with some men's folly, others' treachery, all our divisions, had not their own counsels set them on fighting, I think we should suddenly have chosen them, and theirs, to be umpires of our quarrels. <jrod saw when it was time to deal with them. In their un- dertaking in our own county, I could give sundry instances, how God mixed a perverse spirit of folly and error in all their counsels. A part of the magistracy of the county is seized on, therein their intentions towards the residue is clearly discovered, yet not any attempt made to secure them, which they might easily have accomplished, although they could not but suppose, that there were some gentlemen of public and active spirits left, l.hat would be industrious in oppo- sition unto them. Was not the Lord in their counsels also, when they suffered a small inconsiderable party in a little village within a few miles of them, to grow into such a body as at length they durst not attempt, when they might have broken their whole endeavour with half a hundred of men? Doubtless of innumerable such things as these, we may say with the prophet, 'The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived, they have seduced the people, even they that are the stay of their tribes. The Lord hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of them, they have caused the people to err in every work, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit;' Isa. xix. 13, 14. Doubtless the wrath of man shall praise the Lord, and the remainder of it •will he restrain.