A sermon preached on the fast-day, December 22. 1680. In the Cathedral Church of Rochester. By Robert Dixon, D.D vice-dean of the said church

SECT. VI.

The Spanish Armada, Christn'd Invincible, was broke in pieces, notwithstanding all the Popes bles∣sings.

Consecrated Swords, Banners, Daggers, Pistols, Ag∣nus Dei's, Cruzado's, are meer Toys and Trifles. They fly to their Saints and Angels, as Heathens did to their I∣dol God's; but we seek to the true God. They come unto us with Sword and Spear, but we come unto them in the Name of the Lord; and he will save us for his great Name sake. They trust as the Jews did in an Arm of Flesh; but we trust in God alone. God is our present help in time of trouble, God is the hope of all the ends of the Earth, and of them that remain in the broad Sea; o∣thers pur their trust in Horses and in Chariots, but we in the Name of the Lord our God. The Lord's Arm is not shortned, that he cannot save, neither is his strength aba∣ted. We live by Faith, and not by sense. We live above the World, looking from all help and comfort in God. Put

not your trust in Princes, nor in any Child of Man, for they are utterly deceitful. We have been delivered from many extremities, but this is the most Universal that ever came upon this Church and Kingdom. If the Lord had not been on our side, may Israel now say, if the Lord himself had not been on our side when men rose up against us, they had utterly swallowed us up before now; they were so wrathfully displeased at us. Never more nume∣rous, powerful and implacable Enemies then now. In pe∣rils at home, in perils abroad, in perils by Land, in perils by Water, in peril amongst false Brethren. We can ne∣ver trust them, that profess never to keep faith with us, but continually ly in wait to deceive by Mental Reserva∣tions and AEquivocations of all sorts that the wit of Man can invent. O let us fall into the hands of God, for with him there is mercy, but not into the hands of men, that know no mercy, but their very tender mercies are cruel. O Lord put a Hook into the noses, and a Bridle into the lips of such men, and curb their barbarous and monstrous malice, that it may enlarge it self no further. Discover the depths of Satan, and bring to light the hidden works of darkness that are contrived secretly in the bosom of Hell it self, against thy holy Child Jesus, and against the Annointed of the Lord, and this Church and Kingdom, that they may come forth into the light of the open Sun who is ready to hide his face from seeing them. We are as the Apple of God's Eye, and as the Bracelets upon his Right Arm. Tender and dear in the sight of the Lord is the death of the Saints; Touch not mine Annointed and do my Prophets no harm. If the Lord were pleased to kill us, he would not have accepted of our Sacrifices, nei∣ther would he have discovered unto us, all these Mysteries of Iniquities, nor as at this time have told us such secret Plots of Murders and Assasinations as these are. Still we cry out Lord save us, or else we perish. And still our ship lives and bears up against those roaring Surges, and stands

off from these fearful Rocks and Quick-sands that wait for her.

Witches, Comets, Polices, Lyes of all sorts, even un∣to death, shall not plague us into dispair. God hath rai∣sed up the Spirits of the best of the Nation as one Man to stand up and defend the Truth with might and main. This is the Gift of God, and its marvelous in our Eyes, and we have cause to thank God for it. A Gospel Faith, a Gos∣pel Love is a security above all, Let the Earth be remo∣ved, if it will, and the Mountains fall into the midst of the Sea.

Tho the Plowers plow upon our backs and make long furrows, tho we put our mouths into the very dust, tho we are gon down to bottoms of Mountains, into the bel∣ly of Hell, and the Earth with her bates about us for ever, and the Weeds of dispair are wrapped about our heads, yet will wee look once more to the Holy Temple of the Lord. We will believe above hope, and contrary unto hope, and the gates of Hell shall never be able to prevail against us. For we know on whom we do believe, and he will never fail us. Did any that trusted in him ever fail? Tho he hide his face, 'tis but for a time, tho he be angry, he will not keep it in everlasting displeasure, he will come, he will not tarry, with healing in his wings. We shall one day say, doubtless there is a God that Judg∣eth the Earth. Stand still and see the salvation of God. Let the Nations of the Earth gather themselves together, they shall be broken in pieces. No Weapon formed a∣gainst God shall ever prosper. It is in vain to fight a∣gainst God, it is in vain to kick against the Pricks. O tarry the Lords leasure, his time is the best time.

Stay and see what the Lord will do with us, and what he will do for us. When the Lord in the year 1660 brought again our Captivity out of Babylon, then were we like unto them that dream. We should utterly have faint∣ed unless we had believed verily to see the goodness of the

Lord, in the Land of the living, the living the shall praise thee, as we do this day. O let us live, and we shall praise thee! O tast and see how good the Lord is, all ye that put your trust in him. He will never leave us nor for∣sake us.