before God, who accepts her Repentance, pardons her Sins, adopts her into the number of his own Children, and graciously admits her to a blissful Communion and Fellowship with himfelf. That now fhe is refcu'd and deliver'd out of the Paw of the Lion, who roars and foams, because he has loft his Prey; whilft the Holy Angels, on the contrary, in all the Manlions above, fhout and fing for Joy, that the Powers of Darkness are all baffled and disappointed, the Enemies of the Crofs of Chrift vanquifh'd and confounded: His fuperabundant Grace victoriously refcuing the Sinner out of their Hands, who therefore fhall e'er long be united to their Company with them for evermore to rejoice and fing the most worthy and harmonious praises of God and of the Lamb.

To conclude, Chrift is now made to the humble and contrite Spirit Wisdom, and Righteousness, and Sanctification, and Redemption; fo that though fhe may fometimes feem to mourn like a Dove, yet the Voice of Joy and Gladness is generally in her Dwellings; and, if fhe will but take Care to hold faft that which he hath, S 4 neither

neither Man nor Devil fhall ever be able to deprive her of her Crown; but in fpight of all the Machinations of her Ghoftly Enemies, her Life shall be happy, and her Reftglorious. Amen, Allelujah.

SER

SERMON XI.

ISAIAH 43. 11.

I, even I, am the Lord, and befides me there is no Saviour.

IN

N the beginning of this Chapter God encourages his Church and People, by an appeal to his Omnipotence, by fummoning, as it were, his Almighty Power,as a confirming Seal of that gracious Promife made to them in the Perfon of their Leader, I will not fail thee nor forsake thee, Jofh. 1. 5. And what better pledge could they have receiv'd of their future fafety and fucceffes, than the happy experience of a Power, which had always been their defence and guard, and a Goodness, which had e'en loaded them with Bleffings and Benefits? As nothing can af ford Man a better fecurity than the Eye

of

of God to watch over, and his Arm to fhelter and protect him; fo, one would think, fuch a kind and careful Providence cou'd never fail of exciting a pious Gratitude, and an humble Confidence in the minds of Men; perfonal and private Bleffings must needs leave on the Soul very ftrong and fenfible impreffions: for felf-love is the most vigorous of our Paffions, and that has fo direct an intereft in the fafety and rescue of our Perfons from danger, that Nature might teach us, if Religion did not, to bless the Inftrument of our fecurity, and to praise that God, of whom com. eth Salvation. 'Tis upon this excellent Defign we are now fummon'd, I hope, by our own Zeal and Gratitude, as well as the appointment of the Church and State we belong to, to return God the tribute of Thanks and Praife for as great and feasonable a deliverance, as was ever vouchfaf'd to a Church and Kingdom juft finking into ruin; we need but look into our Kalendar, and it will appear that I mean that moft Barba rous and Execrable Plot, which defign'd, as upon this Day, to deftroy the three Eftates of this Kingdom, by Gun powder, and to make one burnt-Sacrifice,

"

not

not only of the Lord's People, but of the Lord's Anointed too. But for ever bleffed be the Mercy of that God, who would not deliver us as a Prey unto their Teeth; Our Soul is efcaped as a Bird out of the fnare of the Fowler, the fnare is broken, and we are delivered; therefore, not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto thy Name be the Praife, for the Heathen are funk down into the Pit they have made, and in their own Net is their Foot taken; fo that if God will vouchfafe to accept Eccho's of his own Glory and Honour from feeble as well as finful Duft and Ashes, he may found his Title to our Thanksgivings, upon the fame Mercies and Favours fhewn to his own People the Jews; for can the Prophet's words be more happily verify'd in the cafe of any People, than thofe of this Nation, I, even I, am the Lord, and befides me there is no Saviour?

In my farther Reflections on this paffage, 'twill be incumbent upon me to confider diftinctly, the following Heads or Particulars.

I. To evince the Truth and the Excellence of God's Omnipotence in general. II. To