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A mans heart deviseth his way: but the Lord directeth his steps.
WHat great Esteem and Veneration the Anci∣ent World entertain'd of Proverbs, may easily be learned from the Writings of Aristotle: He tells in his Rhetorick, that they always allowed them the next place to Oracles: And in
other parts of his Writings, he gives them the noble Epithet of 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, as if they were the very Extract and Quintessence of Refined Wisdom. The Divine Solomon sets them yet higher, and thinks them worthy to be placed in the very Throne; for Prov. 86. he styles them 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which tho' our Transla∣tion renders only Excellent words, Ge∣jerus, and other Learned Criticks tran∣slate them more agreeably to the He∣brew, Princes of Words: Intimating thus much to us, That these Divine Sen∣tences, which are called Proverbs, excel as much other Schemes of Speech, as Kings and Princes do their ordinary Subjects. But tho' Proverbs in the general have so much of Majesty in them, and have always challenged a particular veneration from the Sons of Men: Yet the Proverbs of Holy Writ are farther commended to us from the very Inscription and Title Page of the Book. It is a known Observation of Learned Men, that neither the Books of Moses, Ioshua, nor other Pen-men of Sacred Writ, are recommended to the World by the Name of the Author, till we come to this Book of Proverbs; as
if the Holy Ghost had designed some extraordinary advantage to this Hea∣venly Book, when in the very Front of it was prefix'd the most August Name of Solomon Son of David, King of Israel; and we may be sure the Queen of the South will rise up in Judgment against us at the last Day, if we do not give our best Attention to these Excel∣lent Words of Solomon; that Solomon, who was once a Famous and Renowned King of Israel, and who, besides those Advantages of Education which he re∣ceived from the pious Care of his Father King David, was also inspired with Wisdom from on high, and endued with such Understanding and Largeness of Heart, as was commen∣surate to the Sand of the boundless Ocean. Besides what has hitherto been said concerning the excellency of Pro∣verbs in general, and these of Solomon in particular, there is one Observation still behind, which will yet farther recom∣mend the Text to your best Attention. For of all those three Thousand Pro∣verbs, which are Recorded as the pro∣ducts of Solomon's Wisdom, there is not any one the Holy Ghost has thought fit
to repeat so often, or inculcate more frequently, than this of the Text; for it is repeated thrice in this one Chapter, besides what it is in other places of this Book of Proverbs. In all which places the Wise man gives us to understand, that the wonderful Providence of God does rule and govern all the Actions of Men. The Metaphor of a Way, which is here used in the Text, is known in Scripture to denote all the Actions of Men, whether good or evil: And according to this latitude, the Meta∣phor here used is understood variously by Divines: St. Cyprian refers it to the good Actions of Men, and accordingly interprets the Text thus, Cor viri cogitet justa, ut à Deo dirigantur gressus ejus: Let the Heart of Man, saith he, think righteous things, that so his goings may be directed by the Lord. But tho' this be a very great Truth, namely, that Good Actions are govern'd and directed by the Providence of God, yet others rather understand the Text of mens wicked Actions; for the Hebrew word 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉, which we render Deviseth, is for the most part used in a bad sense; and what we render Man, is Adam in the
Original, which according to Luther's known Observation is seldom taken in a good sense: So that the words taken in this limited and restrained sense, will run thus; A mans Heart, i.e. the Heart of Adam, or of a wicked Man, deviseeh and contriveth his wicked ways; but the Lord, by his wonderful Providence, go∣verneth and directeth all his steps. The Heathen may rage, as the Psalmist speaks, and the People devise vain things; yet he that sitteth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn, the Lord shall have them in derision. God, as he is Omniscient, can easily know all the wicked devices of sinful Men; and as he is Omnipo∣tent, he can as easily over-rule them, and direct them so as may be most for his own Glory and the good of his People. God, He is no idle Spectator in this vast Theatre of the World; but doth continually, as the Psalmist speaks, whatsoever pleaseth him both in Heaven and in Earth. Indeed, he has made Man a free Agent; and therefore as the Son of Sirach speaks, He leaves him in the Counsel of his own hand, and allows him to act according to the liberty of his Will: But then, as the Wise Rector and Al∣mighty
Governor of the Universe, He over-sees and over-rules all the Actions and Devices of wicked Men; so that such as will not do him true and lau∣dable service, by obeying the known Will of his Precept, are forced to obey the secret Will of his Providence, and are made subservient to his Everlasting Counsels. Thus, tho' the Heart a of wicked man deviseth his wicked ways; yet the Lord governeth and directeth all his steps. For the fuller opening of which Words, I design to confine my present discourse to the discovering of these two things.
First, How the over-ruling Provi∣dence of God is imployed about sin and wickedness whilst it is but in fieri, or the Heart of Man is but yet devising it. And,
Secondly, How it governs and directs sin in facto esse, when sin is brought forth into act. And,
First, Of the First, how Gods, over∣ruling Providence is imployed about sin whilst it is yet but in fieri, whilst the Heart of Man is yet but contriving and devising it. And this will appear in some measure from these following Considera∣tions.
1st. God's Providence orders and di∣rects sin and wickedness to such objects as he thinks fit. It is a true saying of Hugo de Sancto Victo, i.e. Deus non dat malis voluntatibus corruptionem, sed tan∣tum ordinem, God, saith he, never infu∣ses any corruption or wickedness into the Wills of Men, but only gives Order and Direction to their Wicked Actions. All the preparations and contrivances of sin are from the depraved hearts of Men; the ordering of them to particular and suitable objects, from the good provi∣dence of God. As the Huntsman in Bellarmines comparison, holds the Hound in a Slip, and suffers him only to run at such Game as he best liketh: So God keeps a constant Watch upon the Wick∣ed, he puts his Hook in their Nose, and his Bridle in their Lips, and suffers not their Rage to break forth, but only on such persons as he thinks fit. We know Gods Providence extended it self to the very Swine, and would not suffer Satan to enter into them without his particu∣lar Warrant; and sure then we need not doubt but this Providence of God is more eminently concerned about Man, whom he was pleased to make after his
own Image and likeness. God does therefore set a Guard upon the malice of Satan and his Instruments, nor can it break forth but as he permits it; sometimes on his Enemies for their de∣struction, and sometimes on his own People for their chastisement: A proof of the latter we have, Isa. 10. 5, 6, 7. at the 5th Verse Sennacherib King of As∣syria is called the Rod of God's Anger, and the Staff of his Indignation; which metaphorical expressions import thus much, that Men are but Instruments in the Hands of Gods Providence, and must expect the direction of a superiour Cause. Now this Assyrian, this Sennacharib, is said to be sent and directed against Israel, an hypocritical Nation, and now become the People of God's Wrath. And at the 7th Verse we find that this Staff of Gods Indignation was more in the Hand than in the Heart of this proud Assyrian Howbeit, saith God, he meaneth not so, neither doth his Heart think so; but it is in his Heart to destroy, and to cut off Nations, not a few. There was no need God should instil any wickedness into the Heart of Sennach arib, who is here in the Prophet called the Assyrian; it
seems it was full enough, and too full before. Berosus, an Antient Historian, has left his Character of him, Sennache∣rib, qui apud Assyrios regnabat; omnem Asiam & Aegyptum bello infestabat, Sen∣nacherib, saith he, who was King of the Assyrians, vexed and insested all Asia and Aegypt with Bloody Wars. Ye see the Head and Heart of this Assyrian were full enough of devices how to satisfie his Ambition and raise his Empire on the ruins of other Nations. And now was the time for God's Providence to step in and determin him to what Ob∣ject he thought most proper. He there∣fore directs the fury of this Assyrian chiefly against Israel, and uses him as a Rod to chastise his own chosen People. And as God does thus imploy the wick∣ed, as Schoolmasters, to correct his People; so he also imploys them as Executioners to punish his Enemies. Hence, Isaiah 13. 17. God is said to stir up the Medes against the Babylonians, a People notorious for their Enmity to God, and the Iews. These Medes and Persians, are upon this account, called God's sanctified ones, Verse 3. not in re∣spect of any inherent righteousness or
holiness in them, but because, like the Vessels of the Sanctuary, set a-part for Gods service, and excited by a secret instinct of Providence, to execute wrath upon wicked Babylon. Thus God turns the Hearts of Kings, as the Rivers of Waters, whither soever he pleaseth. Tho' their Hearts be very full of wickedness, and like the troubled Sea, are always ready to cast up the Mire and Dirt of Sin, yet God's Providence shuts up this Sea with Bars that it cannot pass, till God is pleased to break up these Bars, and let it rush sometimes on his Ene∣mies, to overwhelm them; sometimes on his own People to chastise them, and wash away their Filth.
2ly. The Providence of God does not only determine the wickedness of Man, as to the Object: but likewise as to the Modus, and measure of it. If God did not bound the Malice of Satan and wicked Men, their little Finger would be bigger than their Loins are now; and instead of Chastising God's People with Whips, like cruel Rehoboam, they would scourge them with Scorpions. When God was pleased to break down the Hedge of his Providence, he had
set about Iob, with what fury did the Sabeans and Chaldeans kill his Servants, drive his Camels, and spoil him of all his Goods? Nor did all this mischief satis∣fie Satans Malice; he would fain have gone further, and made attempts upon his Life: But God here was pleased to set limits to his fury, as we read, Iob 2. 6. Behold, saith God to Satan, he is now in thy Hand, only spare his Life. I need not spare much time in proving the boundless Malice of Satan and his Instruments against God's People; we may learn enough of this, from that remarkable Name the Prophet bestows upon them, Isaiah 27. 1. In that day the Lord, with his great and strong Sword, shall punish Leviathan, the peircing Ser∣pent. By Leviathan in this place, is generally understood Satan and his ma∣licious Instruments; and the word in the Hebrew signifies Augmentation or Addition, intimating the boundless Ma∣lice of Satan and his Instruments, who still desire to lay more burdens on the Godly, to increase their Troubles and augment their Afflictions. But God, he is faithful and merciful, and by his Pro∣vidence takes care, that his People be
not tempted above what they are able to bear: And therefore the same Pro∣phet tells us at Verse 8. That God al∣lows Satan and his Instruments to smite his People only in measure. There is a greater Elegance in the Hebrew, than is exprest in our English Translation; for the word which we render Measure, signifies one of the smallest Measures in use among the Iews, namely, that Mea∣sure which they called the Sea, contain∣ing no more than the third part of an Epha. Such, you see, is the wonderful goodness of God, that he curbs and re∣strains the Fury of those Leviathans; and tho' they think no Strokes too ma∣ny, no Burdens too heavy for the Peo∣ple of God, yet he limits their Malice, and allows them only to smite in Mea∣sure, and with Moderation.
3ly. The Providence of God does also determin the Malice and Wicked∣ness of Men, as to its time and durati∣on. There is indeed a great and sad truth in the observation of the Antient Tragedian, Nullum ad nocendum tempus angustum è malis, No time, saith he, is too little, no time unseasonable for the Wicked to do Mischief; yet there is some
comfort in what the Wise Man tells us, Eccles. 3. 1 That God has set a Season to every Thing, and a time to every Pur∣pose under Heaven. And indeed the Pro∣vidence of God does limit the Wicked, both as to the time, when their Fury shall begin, and also how long it shall continue. Our blessed Saviour was no sooner born into the World, but there was a bloody Herod seeking to destroy him, and send him out of it again: Af∣terwards when he was to enter upon his Ministry, we find Satan carrying him to a Pinacle of the Temple, and tempting him to cast himself down from that dangerous height: And when all this proved succesless, several stratagems were used by the Iews to dispatch him out of this World. But God, who has put Times and Seasons in his own Power, defeated all these their wicked purposes, till that determinate time was come mentioned by St. Luke 22. 53. Tho' I was with you daily in the Temple saith Christ, yet you could not stretch forth any hands against me; but now is your Hour and the power of Darkness. And as the Wickedness of Man is limited, in respect of its beginning, so likewise in
respect of its continuance and duration. Thus God determined the afflictions of Israel in Aegypt four hundred years; and their Captivity in Babylon to seventy. If God had not predetermined the per∣secutions of the Primitive Christians, St. Iohn could not have foretold they should last no longer than forty two Months. Now if we reckon these Months by Sabbaths of Years (as the honest Author of the Book of Martyrs tells us, he was taught to reckon them by a particular Revelation) they will amount to the sum of two hundred ninety four years, the precise time of the ten first Persecutions. I shall add but one instance more of these effects of God's Providence, and that one is hint∣ed to me by a Right Reverend Histori∣an of our own Nation. It seems in Queen Mary's days, Gardiner and the other bloody Papists hoped to continue their persecution of the Protestants till they had utterly destroyed them: But God's good Providence allowed them but a very short time to rage in; for when Queen Mary fell into that kind of Dropsie, which Physitians call the Mola, the wisest of her Friends and Phy∣sitians
were so far infatuated, as to con∣clude her to be with Child. By this means all Physick was forbid, till her Distemper grew desperate, and so her unexpected death put a speedy period to the Rage and Fury of the Papists. Thus I have shewn you how the Provi∣dence of God is employed about sin and wickedness whilst it is in fieri, whilst the Heart of Man is but concei∣ving and devising it. I now proceed to shew how the same Providence is employed about sin in facto esse, after it is finisht and brought forth into Act. Tho' Almighty God can wither the Arm of a wicked Ieroboam, and hinder the Execution of his wicked Designs: Tho' he can strike the Sinner with a Thunder∣bolt into Hell before he accomplishes his mischievous Enterprises, yet having made Man a free Agent, as I said before, he allows him to act according to the liberty he has implanted in his Nature. Ratio non est absque libertate Arbitrii, saith Damascen, there can be no Reason, where there is no liberty to act. But tho' God does permit the heart of man freely to devise and accomplish its ways, yet still by his Providence, he rules and
directs his Steps. Indeed the wicked themselves are far from designing any good, but yet God makes their blackest designs subservient to his glory. They do at best but resemble those monstrous People, in Pliny, whose Feet stood con∣trary to their Faces, or, if you please, to take a more familiar comparison, like Watermen, they are made by Provi∣dence to row one way whilst they look another. To this purpose is the known observation of St. Austin, Bonus Deus non sineret fieri mala, nisi Omnipotens ex ma∣lis bona elicere potuisset, God who is good, saith he, would never permit sin, but that being Omnipotent, he is able to extract Good out of the greatest Evils. The Rod of Moses, whilst it lay upon the Earth, was an ugly, dreadful, and poysonous Serpent, but in the Hand of God and Moses an Instrument of great and glo∣rious wonders. Such is the Power and Wisdom of God, that he is able to bring Light out of Darkness, and work great and glorious ends out of the most black devices and machinati∣ons of sinful Men. Some few Instances of this I shall give you in these follow∣ing particulars.
1st. God does often take occasion from sin, to glorifie the Riches of his Goodness and Mercy. It is the Tradi∣tion of the Antients, that the Skull of Adam was found on Mount Calvary, the very place of our Saviours Crucifixion. And there is not less Comfort in St. Ie∣roms Note, on Mat. 1. Namely, that no holy Women, but such Notorious Sin∣ners as Thamar, Raab and Bathsheba are mentioned in the Genealogy of the Bles∣sed Jesus, and all this to denote thus much unto us, that sin was the Cause which brought our Saviour into the World, and gave God an opportunity to magnifie his Free Grace and Mercy unto Sinners. So that now we may take up the ranting language of St. Gre∣gory, O felix culpa! quae talem meruit Re∣demptorem, O happy sin! happy sure upon this account, that it has through Gods good Providence, obtained so great and so glo∣rious a Redeemer. The Whole, saith our Saviour, needs not the Physitian; and where there is no Misery, there is no need of Mercy. Had there been no bit∣terness in the Waters of Marah, Moses had not needed Sweet wood to have thrown into them. So had there been
no sin, there had not needed the Tears of Repentance, and consequently there had been no need of the Wood of the Cross to sweeten these bitter Wa∣ters.
2dly, As God has thus taken occasion from Sin to commend his Free Grace and Infinite Mercy to the World; so he has also taken occasion from hence to glorifie his Holiness and Justice. If bold sinners shall dare to run upon the Bosses of his Buckler, and bid defiance to the great Majesty of Heaven: If neither the Threats of his Law can drive them to Obedience, nor yet the Promises of the Gospel invite them to their Duty, there remains then nothing, but a fearful looking for of Iudgment and fiery Indignation, to devour these Adver∣saries. Hence Solomon tells us, ver. 4 of this Chapter, that God has made all things for himself; yea, even the wicked has he made for the day of Evil Tho' he may endure with much Long-suffering the Vessels of Wrath, and employ them as Rods for the Chastise∣ment of others; yet at the last he casts these Rods into the Fire, and magnifies his Power and Justice upon them, when
once they are ripe for destruction. It is very observable, that the first Halle∣lujah which we find in the Old Testa∣ment, is in the Psalms, where mention is made of the destruction of Gods Enemies; and the first Hallelujah which is mention'd in the New Testament, is, where the overthrow of Antichrist is foretold in the Revelations. Should God suffer sinners still to go unpunish'd, it would reflect upon his Holiness, and cast a stain upon his Justice. Men would be apt to think God a Patron of Wickedness, and would be very much encourag'd in the ways of Ungodliness. God therefore, to vindicate his Honour, and deter Men from sin, is pleased very frequently, in this World, to send signal Judgments upon the Workers of Ini∣quity. Thus when proud Pharaoh had a long time withstood all the Miracles of Moses, and wrought his Heart at last to the highest degree of hardness, God did then resolve to glorifie himself in his ruin and destruction: And that he might leave some signal Monuments of his Wrath to succeeding Generations, Orosius an Ancient Author tells us, that the prints and footsteps of their Chariots
were a long time after to be seen on the shoar, and in the bottom of the Red Sea. We may do well also to remember that Fire and Brimstone, which was rained from Heaven on Sodom and Gomorrha. Brochardus, and other sacred Geogra∣phers, inform us, that that very Land does still mourn in Dust and Ashes, and such dismal Clouds of Smoak continually ascend from it, as make it represent nothing so much, as the very Mouth and Entrance of Hell. Nay farther yet, that God might make abundant provisi∣ons for the Honour of his Justice (as some have computed) this one single Judgment is mention'd in Scripture above twenty times: God's Providence so ordering it, that these wicked Sodo∣mites might be set forth for an Example, suffering the vengeance of Eternal Fire. And this is the second End to which Gods Providence direct sin, namely, the glorifying of his Justice.
3dly, God's Providence does farther make use of sin, to humble his own People. When David had murther'd his loyal Subject Vriah, and committed Folly with his Wife; God does after∣wards make use of these sins, to keep
his Servant humble. To this end we find Shimei, one a kin to Vriah, sent by a secret impulse of Providence, first to Curse David as a Bloody Man, and so to remind him of the murther; and then to make him sensible of his Adultery, by casting Stones at him, a Punishment under the Law appointed to the Adul∣terer. Now what Influence this piece of Providence had upon David, we learn from 2 Sam. 16. 9, 10. where, when the Sons of Zerviah would have slain Shimei, according to his deserts, David returns a Negative Answer in these passionate words, What have I to do with you, ye Sons of Zerviah? And then see his Humility in the next words, Let him Curse, because the Lord has said unto him, Curse David. He knew God, by this piece of Providence had a design to call his sins to remembrance, and the sense of these makes him so humble, as to think himself worthy of all the Indig∣nities a Cursed Shimei could offer to the Lords Anointed. There is a great Truth in the Saying of St. Austin, Audeo dicere superbis interdum utile esse in peccatum cadere: I dare boldly affirm, says that Holy Father, that it is profi∣table
for proud men to fall sometimes into Scandalous sins. St. Peter, that Great Apostle, is observed by the Antients to have been one of the forwardest and most confident of Christ's Disciples: And we may also gather so much from that Confident Answer he returned to Christ, when he told him, that tho' all Men forsook him, yet he would follow him to the last: But when God's Providence had allowed Satan to sift him, and chastise his Confidence by a sore Fall, we find him falling lower in his own Thoughts to: For when Christ, Iohn ult. puts the Question to him, Peter, lovest thou me more than these? And he puts it thrice to remind him of his thrice Denial. Peter, ver. 17. returns this modest and humble Answer, Lord, thou knowest all things, thou knowest that I love thee. There is indeed no bet∣ter way to take down the Peacock's Plumes, than by discovering her black Feet; and hold but a Looking-Glass before the stout Elephant, and you will soon teach him to abhor his Defor∣mity.
4thly, One end more to which God directs the Wickedness of the World, is
the glorifiing his Wisdom. The Pro∣phet Esay tells us, that God is wonderful in Counsel, and excellent in working. Every Event of Providence is of such excellent contrivance, and manag'd with such admirable Wisdom, that we may say of the Works of God's Providence, what the Psalmist does of the Works of Creation: O Lord how manifold are thy Works! In wisdom hast thou made them all; the Earth is full of thy Riches. So clear a Truth is this, that it has not escaped the Observations of the Hea∣thens; hence it was that they set forth their Gods with Harps in their hands, to shew the Harmony they observed in the Government of the World. Tho' there may happen very often great Confusions here below, and the World may seem to run upon Wheels, as Ezekiel himself once thought; yet the same Prophet found at last, that there were Eyes in these Wheels, a Wise Providence which did move and con∣duct them all to great and Glorious Ends. The truth of this might easily be made to appear more at large by considering some of the most rugged passages of Providence, such as seem at
first view to have been performed with the greatest negligence and deformity, and yet when examin'd from the begin∣ning to the end, have been found to have admirable beauty and Comliness in them. But because the Time will not allow of many Instances, it may suffice at present to shew the truth of this in the famous History of Ionah: That this Prophet, when sent about so weighty a matter as the preservation of great Niniveh, that he should make delays even when their destruction was but Forty days off: Nay more, that he should fly to Tarshish; nay farther yet, that he should be cast into the Sea by the malicious Mariners; and swallowed up presently by a merciless Whale: All these seemed at first to be so many Errata's of God's Providence and con∣tribute little to the Conversion of Ni∣neveh; yet all these seeming Disadvan∣tages were so wisely managed by God's Providence, as to prove great Advan∣tages to that so important business: For it is more than a probable Opinion of Divines, that these malicious Mari∣ners were a special Occasion that Ionah's Preaching was so successful. For it was
these Mariners that informed the Nine∣vites what had hapned unto Ionah, how he had been cast into the Sea, swal∣lowed up by the Whale, and conse∣quently could not, but by a special Miracle, have been conducted unto Niniveh: And this was that which pro∣cured the more credit to Ionah's Preach∣ing, which frightned the Ninivites into that most rigorous Fast, which was en∣joyned by Sardanapalus both on Man and Beast. Thus we see how the Wis∣dom of God's Providence directed the sin of Ionah, and the malice of the Mariners, to work out that end they seemed directly to oppose. In this and such like Instances as may be observed in the World, we cannot but take notice of the beauties of Provi∣dence, and ought to admire and adore the infinite VVisdom of our God, which does so eminently appear in the wonderful goverment of the greatest Disasters and Confusions here below. I proceed now to draw some few Co∣rolaries from what hath been delivered.
First, We may learn from hence, to abhor the Blasphemy of such men as seem to make God the Author of Sin.
Ye hear it is the Heart of Man which deviseth its own wickedness, and that God by his wise Providence does only direct their Wickedness to great and glorious Ends. Just as a skilful Physician, who does not put Poyson into Serpents and other Venemous Creatures, but only converts their Poysons into Sovereign Medicines.
Secondly, We also learn from hence, whence it is that there is no more Mis∣chief done in the World. When we consider the great Malice of Satan and his Instruments, how great also is their Power, and how formidable their Num∣bers, we may justly wonder that this World is any better than a larger Beth∣lehem: But we owe our safety and happiness to the good Providence of God: He sets an hedge about his Peo∣ple; he curbs the Fury of their Ene∣mies, and directs even the Wickedness of Satan and his Instruments, so as may best serve his own Glory, and the good of his People. It was well said of Antoninus, that noble Philosopher, Who would desire to live in this World, if it were destitute of God and Provi∣dence? If all were left to Chance and
we exposed every where to innumerable Enemies and Dangers? But since there is an over-ruling Providence, saith he, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉. I adore that Providence, and live sweetly and pleasantly, confiding always in Gods Almighty Protection. To the same pur∣pose is that of the Royal Psalmist, Psal. 97. 1. The Lord reigneth, let the Earth rejoyce: Let the multitude of the Isles be glad thereof. But,
Thirdly, It is not enough that we rejoyce under the protection of God's Providence; but we must also adore and worship his great and glorious Name, who does such Wonders for the Chil∣dren of Men. Psal. 78. 10. we are told that the Wrath of Man shall praise the Lord: The remainder of Wrath he shall restrain: The Septuagint read the latter part of the Verse thus, 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the Rage of Man, say they, shall keep Holiday unto the Lord, i. e. give his People opportu∣nities of lauding and magnifying his glo∣rious Name. And sure no People in the World ever had more cause to praise and magnify the Name of God, than we of this Church and Nation. VVhat mira∣culous Preservations has his good Pro∣vidence
wrought for us? VVhat Plots and Descents has he detected and de∣feated? How has he baffled the pro∣foundest Policy of the subtilest Achito∣phel, and made him prove, according to his name in Hebrew, no better than the Brother or Cousin-Germain to a Fool? Oh then! let us praise our God according to his excellent Greatness; and being wonderfully delivered from the hands of our Enemies, let us serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all the dayes of our life.
This God of his infinite Mercy grant▪ for the merits of his dearest Son, &c.