The churches thank-offering to God her King, and the Parliament, for rich and ancient mercies; her yeares of captivity; her first yeare of iubile; that is, for the marvelous deliverances wrought with God the first wonderfull yeare (since the yeare 88) beginning at September 1640. and ending the ninth of the same moneth following: in all which time, the Lord appeared for his church, as in the dayes of old, out of the middest of the bush, so the church burn'd with fire, and was not consumed. In the preface, the thank-offering is vindicated, and set free, from all the cavills and charges against it; where also it is cleared to be, as every mans duty, so every mans purpose, to offer willingly now, who doth not make full proofe, that he falls short of pagan, papist or atheist; and is wilfully resolved to walk crosse to the most supreme law, the highest reason, and the unquestionable will of God.

¶ 3.

THat the marvellous workes of the Lord may be raised in our thoughts yet higher, that we may have an high and honourable esteeme of them, we must consider, as followeth.

Here was a Head which thought to establish wickednesse by a Law; here was Tayle-Prophets, who taught lies, and these prevailed so far, that they brought the people on their side, as the sand on the Sea∣shore for multitude: These made the People glad with their lyes, and he was a Prophet unto them, that could prophesie of wine and strong drinke a. See here, Councell and Strength is for the warre, the Adversary had both, and multitudes so many as we heard, and yet see the over-ruling hand of the Lord Almighty; these prevai∣led not, neither by their strength nor by their councell, nor by their multitudes, as appeareth this Day. There is the marvellous worke of God and a wonder.

To make the wonder yet more compleat, we must take-in a third person the most chiefe and principall, BEE LZEBƲB their Prince and King, the Angell of the bottomlesse pit; hee keepes his nature still, so he keepes his name still; in the Hebrew ABADDON ^b; in the Greeke APOLLYON b; two names different in language and in sound, but in signification one and the same, A man slayer, a Soule-devourer. He hath his name so in the Hebrew, because he is a mighty let to the comming-in of the Iewes (no such offence to them

in the world as your Images and Image-makers. And hee hath his name so in the Greeke, because the head of this faction mightily op∣poseth the compleating or filling up the number of the Gentiles: For he opposeth with all his might, the spreading of the Gospell, the re∣vealing that mighty arme of the Lord.

We have the principall now, the King and Prince, we will put all together, the Head, the Taile, the bulky-Body, with the King over them. What is the marvellous worke now, what is the wonder? This, That the gates of Hell prevailed not. Wisedome, mighty for plotting and contriving, was turned into foolishnesse. Strength, mighty for action, was turned into weaknesse. Multitudes did fall as drunkards; had not so much power as women, or as wounded men. We have not all yet, this must be considered also, for this is our designe, to advance the name of God in confounding such a Troope, by such weake meanes.

The Righteous, who seemed a very few, a thin scattered people, these spake often (not only, as in an evill time) one to another ^•, but openly, and to the Adversaries face. These I say, though Prudent men, did not keepe silence, no, not in that time, such an evill time . I should goe on, but here an Objection will thrust in upon me, to take off from this wonder, and to shorten, if it could be, the Arme of God, even the right hand of the Almighty.

Notes

• a

  Mic. 2. 11.
• b

  Rev. 9. 11.
• Mal. 3. 16.
• Am. 5. 13.