Davvnings of light wherein the true interest of reformation is opened in generall, and in particular, in this kingdome for the establishment of weaker judgements, and many other things impartially hinted, to a further discovery of truth and light in many of our present controversies : with some maximes of reformation / by John Saltmarsh ...

God standing in these times.

THey that would see God in this work, must consider the spiritual∣nesse of the designe, and Gods way of mysterious acting, and not let them∣selves down into the creature, and think that the breaking of an Army, or a Party, breaks Gods designe; for it remains the same yesterday and to¦day, and the same for ever; and God takes in miscarriages, disadvantages, and improbabilities, and seeming impossibilities, and treacheries, and enemies workings, and makes them all work into his purpose: He took in a treacherie at the compleating of the spirituall designe of our redemp∣tion, and a Iudas must accidentally, though wofully, help in the work of our salvation. So that if we would but study Gods designe concerning his Church and method, and rise up

higher then the creature & the crea∣tures method in our conceptions, and look on the other side of it, we should not be at such losses and stands, and in such despondencies and discou∣ragements as we are: And while we grasp at the creature too fast, either at Agents, or Armies, or Counsels, God many times (as we experience) drawes them either off from us, or us from them.

Again, we must look at Gods stand∣ing amongst us: He is not now as he appeared to Israel on the Mountain, with a clear paved work of a Saphire under his feet; but he is now as he was before in the visions, he stands in the bottome among the Mirtle trees, on a red horse, so shaded as none but his own can see him; His spirit is in the wheeles, and one wheele within a∣nother: He walks in the midst of the seven golden Candlesticks, yet none but a Disciple sees him. The work of Church providence is intri∣cate and perplexed; so it was when the Iewes were his people, and now it is when the Gentiles are his peo∣ple

too: so it was in the first part of his work about his Church, and so it is in this second p••rt of his work too; for it is all but one work, only in se∣verall complexions and methods, to Israel and the Gentiles.