Page 498
[ 1432] God fetching testimonies of Truth out of the mouths of Adversaris.
THe Egyptian Sorcerers were forced to confesse, that the finger of God was in the miracles that Moses wrought before Pharaoh. Nebuchadnezzar,* 1.1 as stiff as he was against the three Children, yet when they are freed from the flames, God extorteth this speech from him,* 1.2 That no god could deliver like their God. The Wife of Haman, as ill-affected as she was towards Mordecai, yet she saith; If Mordecai be of the seed of the Iews,* 1.3 before whom thou hast begun to fall, thou shalt not prevail against him. The Officers that were sent to apprehend Christ, instead of bringing Him,* 1.4 they brought a testimony of him, Never Man spake like this Man. But to come nearer; Stephen Gardiner, sometimes a great Man of this Nation, and Bishop of Winchester, lying on his Death-bed, and the Bishop of Chichester his old acquaintance, coming to visit him; When the promises of the Gospel, and salvation by the blood of Christ was laid to his Soul, made an∣swer; Nay, if you open that gap once, then farewell all. Not much unlike hereun∣to, is the close of that learned Cardinal,* 1.5 who after the expence of many Ar∣guments to the contrary, concludes; Sed, propter incertitudinem propriae justitae, et periculum inanis gloriae ••utissimum est, &c. that because of the uncertainty of our own Righteousnesse and the danger of vain-glory, the most safe way is to rely upon the Merits of Christ Iesus. Thus it is, that God can fetch light out of dark∣nesse, testimonies of Truth out of the mouths of very Adversaries, Magna est ve∣ritas et praevalebit, so great is the Truth, that it will prevail, and so powerful is God, that he hath not onely the tongues of Men, but their hearts also, and turns them as the Waters of the South which way soever he please;* 1.6 so that Balaam shall blesse those whom Balaac curseth, and the Midianites thrust their swords into one anothers bowels: Mad-men must they needs be then, to lock up the Truth, for it will break forth, maugre all opposition whatsoever.