THESE words were uttered by Balaam, when he endeavoured to curse Israel, the People of God, that so he might obtain a reward from Balak; he was in himself no better than a Witch or Conjurer; but when he sought to do mischief to God's People by the assistance of evil, and wicked Spirits with whom he was confede­rate, the holy Spirit of God did strangely inter­pose, and made use of this Conjurer to be his Instrument for Prophecy as to several particu­lars that relate to the Church of God in gene­ral, and for the declaring of a Blessing to Israel, which was God's Peculiar and Chosen People, his Church at that present time; and so God by the over-ruling power of his Spirit, did turn the Curse, that was intended by this wicked In chanter, into a Blessing.

More especially, in the words of my Text, there is a discovery made, by the plain confes­sion of this Wizzard, of the vanity of his own attempts, against the Church and People of God; Surely, saith he, there is no Inchantment against Jacob, neither is there any Divination against Is­srael, &c. as before.

In which words we have contain'd two ge­neral parts.

1. An Assertion firmly laid down, with rela­tion to Jacob and Israel; Surely, or assuredly, as if he had said, you may take this for an assured thing, for a certain truth, that there is no Inchant­ment against Jacob, neither is there any Divination against Israel. We know that the names Jacob, and Israel, were both of them first given to him, who was the Father of those twelve Patriarchs, from whom were derived those twelve Tribes, of which the Jewish Nation was constituted. The name Jacob signifies a Wrestler, or a Supplanter, and was given to him at first, upon occasion of his laying hold, of his Brother Esau's heel, at his Birth, and was further confirm'd to him after­wards, in the fitness of its signification, by his supplanting his Brother Esau, and depriving him, both of the Birth right, and of the Blessing; and also again in his famous wrestling with God by Faith, and Prayer, as well as with the Angel of [Page 3]God by bodily exercise; from the success of which wrestling, it also came to pass, that the other name here mention'd, the name of Israel, was given un­to him, that is, a Prince with God, according to the words of the Angel, Gen. 32.28. And he said, thy name shall be called no more Jacob, but Israel, for as a Prince, hast thou power with God, and with Men, and hast prevailed. These names Jacob, and Israel, are here, as in many other places, used to denote the whole Nation, which derived from this per­son, there being nothing more common, both in Scripture, and likewise in other Authors, than to call a Nation by the name of the Person, or Persons, from whom it proceeded.

Now forasmuch as this Nation was the Church and peculiar People of God, above all the Nations of the World, according to that of the Psalmist, In Judah is God known, his name is great in Israel, at Salem also is his Tabernacle, and his dwelling-place in Sion; he hath not dealt so with any Nation, that is, with any other Na­tion, neither have the Heathen the knowledge of his Law: For this reason it is, that by the names Jacob, and Israel, the Church of God in gene­ral, especially that, which we call the Invisible Church, the Church of the Faithful, of such as are what they profess themselves to be, even real Believers, is to be understood, and even in [Page 4]this large sense, are these words, Jacob and Is­rael to be understood here in my Text, even to denote all true Believers the Church of the Faithful throughout all Ages: These are all, (1.) Jacob's Wrestlers, and that both with rela­to God and also with relation to Men.

1. They are wont to be Wrestlers with re­lation to God, by Faith and Prayer; they are not willing to give the Almighty any rest, un­til he establish Jerusalem, his Church in general, a praise in the Earth.

2. They are Wrestlers with relation to Men, those that are the Enemies of God, and Christ, and true Goodness; as in Baptism they are in­roll'd in the number of Christ's Souldiers, so they make it their business, to fight under his Banner, against the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, which are his Enemies, and to acquit themselves well, in their spiritual Combate and Warfare; for as the Seed of the Serpent, is an Enemy to the Seed of the Woman; so is the Seed of the Woman an Enemy to the Seed of the Serpent; and they do in the issue get the Blessing from, and prevail against those car­nal Esau's, who tho' they're Brethren it may be, according to the Flesh, yet bear an Enmity to them; yea they become at length more than Conquerors over all their spiritual Enemies, [Page 5]through Christ strengthening of them; which makes it evident,

2. That all the true Members of the Church of Christ, are also Israel's, such as have power with God, and with Men, and do prevail; as they wrestle with God by Faith and Prayer, so through the Divine Grace and Condescention, they are wont to prevail with God by Faith and Prayer: And as they wrestle and contend in the Cause of God against Sin, and sinful Men; so they are wont to prevail, and to be Crowned as Conquerors at last, tho' it may be even by suf­fering; so that there is enough said for the ex­plication of these two names here mentioned, Jacob and Israel.

Concerning these 'tis here said, that there is no Inchantment against Jacob, neither is there any Divination against Israel: Some read it, there is no Inchantment in Jacob, no Divination in Israel, to denote that God's People do abhor such wicked practices; as in their Baptism they re­nounced the Devil, and all his Works; so they abhor the thoughts of entring into League with Hell, and of being at an agreement with de­struction; they abhor such practices, wherein the Devil's assistance is required and expected. But the plain and most obvious sense of the words seems to be this, That tho' the Devil and [Page 6]his Instruments may design the ruine and mise­ry of the Church of God, yet all the Contrivan­ces and Machinations of wicked Men, yea tho' they take in the assistance of the Devil himself, for their help, shall not prevail against the Church, so as to bring ruine and destruction upon it; in this sense, to be sure, There is no In­chantment against Jacob, there is no Divination against Israel. 'Tis added in my Text. (2.) Ac­cording to this time, it shall be said of Jacob and of Israel, What hath God wrought? The properest sense and meaning of which words seems to be this; That according to this instance here before us, wherein God did frustrate all the designs of Balak and Balaam, for the cursing of God's People in that Age, and bringing mischief upon them; so he will deal with his Church and People throughout all Ages; God will repeat the same deliverance to his Church and People in all succeeding Ages, which he afforded in the instance before us; so that God's People shall have reason to say, not only in that present Age, but also in all Ages following, that God is one & the same to them, the same in Power, and Mer­cy, and Faithfulness; according as 'twas said at this time, so it shall be said in all times following, by Jacob and Israel, What hath God wrought?

So that the words thus explained, do afford [Page 7]unto us these three Notes, as a ground of fur­ther discourse.

1. That it is, and hath been all along, and will be more or less to the end of the World, the wont and cu­stom of the Devil, and his Instruments, to contrive, and design the ruine and misery of the Church and People of God, tho' by the wickedest means that can be thought of, or invented.

2. That the Church and People of God are from time to time, and shall be to the end of the World de­livered from, and shall even prevail against the con­trivances, and machinations of the Devil, and his Instruments.

3. That the whole honour of this is to be ascribed to God, and must be acknowledged to be the effect of his power and operation. I shall resume these par­ticulars, and a little consider them more parti­cularly, in the same order in which I have pro­pounded them.

I begin with the first; That it is, and hath been all along, and will be to the end of the World, the wont and custom of the Devil, and his Instruments to contrive and design the ruine and misery of the Church and People of God, tho' it be by the wicked­est means, that can be thought of or invented. The History of all Times, and the many Books of Martyrology, which are extant, will confirm us in this. We have an Instance of this, in the most [Page 8]early Times of the World, in the case of Cain and Abel; Cain was of that wicked one, and slew his Brother; and wherefore slew he him? 'twas because his own works were wicked, and his Brothers were righteous; as the Apostle gives account of this matter, 1 Joh. 3.12. This was the main ground of the quarrel between them, that one was a true Believer, the Seed of the Woman, a true Member of the Church, and the other was of the Seed of the Serpent, and nothing suitably could satisfie the Rancour, which Cain had conceived within himself, but to persecute his Brother to the Death. Thus Pharaoh set himself against the People of God, and was not satisfi'd with op­pressing them by hard bondage and service, but at length took a course, which if it had prevail'd, would have destroy'd the whole Nation in one Age, and so the Church of God contain'd there­in; he bethought himself of that wicked course, of killing all the Male-Infants of the Israelites, as soon as they were born. Thus it was likewise in the Instance here before us, to which my Text refers. Balak would hire Balaam, to make use of the power of Witchery, and Divination, that is, to press and engage Hell it self, and the powers of Darkness, to this work, of cursing the People of God and all to this purpose, that he might the more easily consume and destroy them. Thus [Page 9] Haman laid a Plot not only against Mordecai, but also in order to the ruine of the whole Jewish Nation, that were then dispersed throughout the Persian-Monarchy, and this to be accom­plisht by no less than an Universal Massacre. Thus the Primitive Christians did wade thro' a Sea of Blood to Heaven; being persecuted with infinite varieties of Torments in ten several Bloody Persecutions from the Heathens, besides what they endured from the unbelieving Jews, who were also their implacable Enemies. And the Blood of Protestants, that hath been shed by the Papists, hath by the account of some fallen nothing short of that Christian Blood, that was shed by Heathen Rome, in the first 300 Years of Christianity; and we may find reason to believe it to be true, if we consider those many thou­sands that have been destroy'd by Burning, and Massacres, almost in all Nations of Europe, parti­cularly, 60000 Protestants massacred in Paris, and other parts of France, in the last Age; and 20000 barbarously murdered by the Papists in Ireland, in the memory of some here present. Add to this the Design of the Spanish Invasion in Eighty eight, which tended to the ruining and enslaving of the whole English Nation, and the barbarous Slaughter or all, that would not pre­sently have bow'd down to the Idols of Rome [Page 10]and Spain. Add also the Design of this Day, which was, with one Blow, to destroy the King, and Royal Family, and all the Estates of our Kingdom, and in them to have destroy'd in ef­fect the whole Nation, more especially the Church, and the Protestant Interest establisht therein. By all these Instances it doth abundant­ly appear as to the truth of the thing, That it is, and hath been all along, and by consequence will be, more or less to the end of the World, the wont and cu­stom of the Devil and his Instruments, to contrive and design the ruine and misery of the Church and People of God, tho' by the wickedest and most bar­barous means that can be thought of, or invented: And we shall be further confirm'd in this, by considering the Reasons upon which this is founded, which are such as follow.

1. The most universal ground and reason, is that everlasting Enmity, which is set and fixt, and that by God himself; between the two Seeds, the Seed of the Womon, and the Seed of the Ser­pent, that is, betwixt Christ and his Church on the one hand, and the Devil and his Angels, and all wicked Men, that are his Seed, on the other. This Enmity was fixt by God very early, even as soon as the Covenant was renewed with Man­kind thro' Christ after the Apostacy of Adam, as you will find, Gen. 3.15. where God saith to the [Page 11]Serpent, And I will put Enmity between thee and the Woman, and between thy Seed, and her Seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. This was the main ground of the quarrel be­tween Cain and Abel Cain kill'd his Brother Abel; his nearness in Blood could not save him from an hand of violence; and the fundamental reason was, because Cain's works were evil, and his Bro­ther's were righteous: And this hath suitably been the fundamental ground of all the Perse­cutions, and Massacres, and Burnings, and Vio­lence, that ungodly Men, in all Ages, have ex­ercis'd towards the Members of the Church, whatever else hath been pretended, as the reason of them. But yet;

2. There are some other reasons that may be given of this matter; as (1.) Because that gra­cious persons are by their words and example, a continual reproof of the evil practices of wick­ed Men; they do by their words and example, reprove their Superstitions and Idolatries, in matters of Religion, and their Hypocrisie there­in; as also their Wickedness and Profaneness in life and practice; and this wicked Men cannot bear; they look upon such kind of reproof to be no better than a reproach; and therefore are apt to revenge it by any kind of violent practice whatsoever. Thus God's Attestation, which he [Page 12]gave to Abel's faith and sincerity in his Worship which he offer'd to God, was that, which pro­voked Cain to that violent dealing, which he af­terwards expressed towards his Brother. Thus the Christians in the Primitive times, disowning and reproving the Idols, that did then so much abound in the Heathen World, did provoke the Heathens so much to persecute them to the death. And thus the Protestants reproving and disowning the Superstitious and Idolatrous pra­ctices of the Papists, is that which hath especially stirr'd up the Papists to all their Cruelties against them.

2. Another ground is an inconsistency, it may be, in temporal interests and concerns; wicked Men do make Self their God, and Self-interest their Diana, which they chiefly adore; when there­fore this is crost by any one, tho' it be done no other way, but by the performance of necessary duty, they are hereupon apt to be provok'd to endeavour Revenge, tho' in the most cruel way and manner. Thus that which provok'd Balak to procure Balaam to curse the People of Israel, was a fear lest they should disturb him in his Kingdom and Government: And that which hath especially provok'd the Popish Party against the Protestants, is because that by their Doctrine they touch the Pope's Crown, and the Fryers [Page 13]Bellies; if these had been let alone, as some have observed, Luther had not met with such opposi­tion in his Preaching. Thus England's standing of old in the way of the Ambition of Spain, and its standing of late in the way of the Ambition of France, hath been the main ground of Eng­land's Troubles from Spain formerly, and now from France; so that if we consider these parti­culars, it will appear to be no matter of wonder, That 'tis, and hath been all along, and by consequence will be to the end of the World, the custom of the De­vil and his Instruments, to contrive, and design the ruine and misery of the People and Church of God, though by the wickedest means that can be thought of, or invented: But I have further added,

2. That the Church and People of God are from time to time, and shall be to the end of the World, de­livered from, and shall prevail against the Contri­vances and Machinations of the Devil, and his In­struments. 'Tis true indeed, and must be acknow­ledged, that particular persons, who are real Members of the Church of Christ, may be, and often have been brought to untimely Ends, by the machinations and contrivances of wicked Men in this kind; this is suitable to all History & Experience; and the Apostle confirms it, Rom. 8.36. quoting it out of Psal. 44.22. As it is writ­ten, for thy sake are we killed all the day long; we [Page 14]are accounted as Sheep for the slaughtor; by which words he proves, that tribulation, and distress, and persecu­tion, and famine, and nakedness, and peril, and sword, may be the portion of the People of God; as he saith in the verse before; this is evident likewise from what is said, Heb. 11.36, 37. Others had tryal of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea moreover of bonds and imprisonments; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword; they wandred about in Sheep-skins, and Goat-skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, &c. But even in this case there are two things very considerable; 1. That as to such as are persecuted thus to death, they are hereby but hastened to the enjoyment of a blessed Immortality, even as Abel was; tho' they may lose their Heads in the quarrel, yet they do not lose their Crown, but enjoy it so much the sooner; nay in all these things, saith the Apostle, we are more than Con­querors, thro' him that hath loved us, Rom. 8.37. 2. 'Tis farther observable, that the Kingdom of Christ is ge­nerally the more encreased, and inlarged, occasional­ly from such persecutions; Sanguis Martyrum est semen Ecclesiae; 'twas an old observation, that the Blood of Martyrs was the seed of the Church: This Tertullian tells the Heathens, in his Apology, the more we Chri­stians are mow'd down by the sickle of death, the more we are increased, and grow up the thicker hereby: But,

2. It must be allow'd further, that as for particular [Page 15]Churches, they may possibly be utterly destroy'd and scatter'd by the violence of Persecution; for God hath not given his promise to any particular Church, whether Congregational, Provincial, or National, that it shall always continue in the state of a true Church of God; but then 'tis to be considered, 1. That God doth long preserve some National and Provin­cial Churches, notwithstanding all designs and ma­chinations to the contrary; of which our Church of England hath been hitherto a singular, and standing Instance. 2. When at any time he suffers the destru­ction of any particular Church, 'tis because of some great provocations from that Church preceding; as he threatens the Church of Ephesus to remove her Candlestick, because of her forsaking her first love, Rev. 2.4, 5. which threatning hath been since so ful­ly accomplisht, that, as a late Writer observes unto us, there is not one Christian Family now to be found in Ephesus. 3. When at any time it so falls out, that particular Churches are disperst and de­stroy'd by the violence of Persecution, yet even this falls out oftentimes to the good and benefit of the Universal Church, and the greater spreading of it, those that are disperst by Persecution, spreading the Gospel for which they are persecuted so much the more, where ever they go; as happen'd upon occa­sion of the persecution, that was rais'd against Stephen, Act. 8.4. 'tis said, that they that were scatter'd abroad [Page 16]upon that occasion, went every where preaching the Word. And 'tis the observation of some, that the Turks breaking into Europe, caused several of the Greek Church, who were endow'd with much more Learn­ing than was ordinarily found in the Latin Church, to betake themselves towards the Western parts of Europe; and this, amongst other things, made way for the Reformation that followed, and this may serve for the case of particular Churches. But then,

3. As for the case of the Universal Church, certain it is, that no Persecution shall ever be able to destroy it, and root it out of the World; God hath founded his Church upon a Rock; Thou art Peter, saith Christ, and upon this Rock of thy confession, that I am the Son of God, will I build my Church, & the Gates of Hell, all the Power, that is, and the Policy of Hell, shall never be able to prevail against it. 'Tis the original promise of God, that as the Seed of the Serpent shall be suffered to bruise the heel of the Woman, and her Seed, that is, that part of it that is here upon Earth; so the Seed of the Woman shall bruise the Serpents head; so that in the issue, the Church of God in general is sure to be delivered from, and to prevail against the contrivances and machinations of the Devil, and his Instruments, according as the Apostle saith, Behold God shall tread Satan under your feet shortly. And this is confirm'd by all History and Experience. Thus the Church of God was at length delivered [Page 17]out of Egyptian Bondage, and Pharaoh, and his Host, who had persecuted the Israelites, and drowned their Infants, were drowned in the Red Sea. Thus God turned Balak's design of a Curse upon Israel into a Blessing. Thus the Jews were delivered from Ha­man's design'd Massacre, & Haman and his Sons were hanged upon the Gibbet that was prepared for Mor­decai. Thus Christianity was at length delivered from the Persecutions of Heathen Idolaters, and the Heathens Idolatry was soon banisht out of the Ro­man Empire. Thus the effect of the miscarrying de­sign of the Spaniards in Eighty eight, was, that it brought such a declension upon their Power, as from which they have not recovered even to this day. Thus some have observed, that the Massacres in France were followed with a quick and wonderfully reviving of the Protestant Interest in that Nation, & with miserable calamities upon the Popish party therein; and what was the effect of the Barbarity of the Irish Papists in their Rebellion, but miserable ruine upon themselves, and their Families? Thus to conclude, we were at this day, delivered from the intended ruine and destruction by Gun-powder, and the Conspirators brought a just Execution upon themselves, and Ruine upon their own Families; and which is more yet, the effect was, that it hath caused Popery to be much more abhorr'd ever since by the generality of this Nation: By all which Instances, [Page 18]tis abundan tly made good, That the Church of God hath been from time time, and therefore shall be, no doubt, to the end of the World, delivered from, and shall prevail against the contrivances and machinations of the Devil, and his Instru­ments. Now if the ground and reason of this should be inquired, we have a sufficient account of it in the

3d Note before observ'd, That the whole honour of this matter is to be ascribed to God, and it must be acknow­ledged to be the effect of his Power and Operation. This is clearly intimated in the words of my Text, Ac­cording to this time it shall be said of Jacob, and of Israel, What hath God wrought? The Deliverance of God's People from time to time, is the work of God, and the effect of his Power; and therefore to him alone is the honour and glory hereof to be ascribed.

'Tis true indeed, in subordination to God, there may be some other account given of this matter, why God should do thus much for his Church, and that we have intimated likewise in my Text, the Church of God is here said to be Jacob and Israel; whereby is signified,

1. That they are God's Covenanted People, a People that have a Covenant-Relation to God, and a Covenant Interest in him, to whom he hath made many gracious Promises, and hath confirmed them by his Word and Oath, which are two immutable things, in which 'tis impossible for God to lye.

2. They are a praying wrestling People; they are Jacobs, they are such as give the Almighty no rest, & therefore suit­ably as for such as thus cry day and night unto him; as 'tis said by Christ in the Parable, He will, tho, he seems to defer Deliverance, yet avenge them speedily: Whence

3. It follows, that they are wont to be Israels, such as have power with God, and Man, and do prevail; they have an Interest in God, in his Power, and Mercy, in his Attributes, and Promises: No wonder then, if he do in due time, create Deliverances for them; and therefore suitably not unto us, not unto us, but to God alone, be the praise of all his Delivering Mercy. More especially,

1. Of this great Mercy and Deliverance, which he be­stowed as on this day to our Forefathers, and in them up­on us, a mercy which contained many singular mercies in the bowels of it, even the enjoyment of whatsoever is de­sirable, to make our Lives comfortable here in this World, or in order to the securing of our Eternal Welfare in that other World. But farther,

2. We have reason to bless God, that he hath still con­tinued to us, the fruit and benefit of this days Delive­rance, in the enjoyment of the Gospel, together with the en­joyment of our Lives, Liberties and Properties, notwith­standing all the Designs of the Popish Party to the con­tray. We know that 'twas not long since, that a Conclama­tum est was ready to be pronounced upon our Religion, Li­berty and Properties, and that not only by our Enemies, in a way of exulting, but also by our selves, in a way of diffidence and despondency. And we know farther, that there is a Party mixt every where amongst us even in our very Bowels, who desire, and as far as they can, & dare, are plotting, and contriving in effect, that thus it may be still; and this, altho' 'tis more than probable, that by seeking the Ruine of the Nation in general, and the present Establish­ment, they do but hew at the Bow, upon which they them­selves do stand, and which, falling, may in the issue prove [Page 20]their own Ruine. But blessed be God, who hath hitherto so far appeared for us, a sinful undeserving People, as to raise us up a Temporal Saviour, and deliver in the nick of time; and hath hitherto afforded unto him, the same Mercy, that Jacob takes notice of, as afforded to Joseph; as you will find, Gen. 49.23, 24. The Archers have sorely grieved him, and shot at him, and hated him; but his Bow hath hitherto abode in strength, and the arms of his hands were made strong, by the hands of the mighty God of Jacob. And we may hope, that 'tis not for nothing, that God hath hitherto delivered our King, from so many Deaths and Dangers, but that the design of God, in these gracious Providences, is to reserve and use him still, in his due time, as an Instrument, for our more full deliverance from all our Fears and Dangers; and suitably, as the Delive­rances, that we have already received, do engage us to, such Instances of real Holiness and Conformity to God's Will, and to such hearty, and thorow Reformation, as may express our Thankfulness to God, for Mercies al­ready received, and restrain us from taking occasion from past Mercies, to sin the more against God, as too many have done; as if they thought themselves delivered on purpose, to do all these Abominations: So if God shall (as we hope he will) make use of our King, as a means yet more fully to deliver us out of the hands of our Enemies; we should in the mean time resolve seriously, in the strength of God, that the issue and effect shall be, that hereupon we will serve him, in Holiness and Righteous­ness before him all the days of our lives; according to the prayer of holy Zechary to this purpose, That he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hands of our Ene­mies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteous­ness, &c. Which God of his mercy grant, &c.