# row'd their Model from the Complotters against St. Paul's Life, fo wrestless were they till the fatal Blow was over, and fo eager to try the most deftruEtive force of their own murderous Invention. And fince fuch a fhock as this, must have carried after it an univerfal Ruin, fince the Laws, Lives, and Liberties, of fo many thousands were wrapt up in the Succefs of this Defign, had not God thought fit to blaft and disappoint it by a Discovery, as ftrange as formable; we might_at this time have been lamenting the Funeral of a moft happy conftitution, and ferving Baal upon a falfe Altar, inftead of paying the true God our thanks and praise in a decent, folemn and primitive way of Worship. But what yet advances the Honour of Gods Power and Goodness in our common Safety, is the feasonableness of the Deliverance it felf; for we were repriev'd in the very minute and article of Death, and pull'd as a Firebrand out of the Fire; the happy prefages of a wife Prince, join'd with the fortunate conftruction of a dark Letter, occafion'd a timely Enquiry into this Mine of Darkness, and

and when a desperate Mifcreant was just going to Sacrifice himself, and an whole Kingdom, then did the Eye of Providence unveil the Scene, and difcover to us, not only our own Safety, but what Principles the Church of Rome deals in,and what Saints fhe owns! And ever blessed be that God, who has refcu'd us from the Hands of thofe Men, whofe very Mercies are cruel! may they live to Retract and Repent of fuch wicked Practices, and may we by the Benefit of the fame Providence, for ever escape them!

But now having in fo copious a manner, prov'd the point of God's Omnipotence, I fhall bespeak your farther Patience, 'till I have apply'd the Doctrine in one or two Inferences.

And the first practical Inftruction which it seems to offer us, is a very high and awful Regard to the Majefty of a Being, who is cloath'd with Power as with a Garment; we are apt to respect the Enfigns of Power and Sovereignty, tho' plac'd in frail and mortal Creatures, with a very profound Veneration, and the more hurt or good we are capable

ble of receiving from thofe above us, the more do we commonly diftinguish them by our Fear or Efteem. But what manner of Proportion can the scanty and limited, the deriv'd and dependant Power of Man, bear to the unbounded and original Sovereignty of God? As therefore Divine Power exceeds Human, as far as finite and infinite can differ, fo fhould we dread and reverse the one, in an infinite Proportion beyond the other; especially when the Omnipotence of God, may, if it please, exert it felf in the Ruin or Annihilation of Sinful Man, fince his Anger is equally Almighty, as his Goodness! How ought we to have before our Eyes the fear and dread of this Attribute? And not dare to provoke a Being who can blaft us into nothing with the leaft Breath of his Difpleafure? If an Earthy Kings Wrath be as the Meffenger of Death, who then can fland before the King of Kings when he is Angry, or would ever be fo hardy to tempt that Wrath, which is a confuming Fire? 'Twas a wife and merciful Advice of our Saviour, to bid us, Fear him that could deftroy both Body and Soul in Hell, Mat. 10. 28. And therefore for Men to live and

and act, without a due Sense of this
Attribute, and either to value their own
Strength or Power, as to contemn God's,
is fuch a degree of Stupidity, as muft
and will be awaken'd by a very fear-
ful Doom.

But a 2d Inference to be drawn from the Doctrine of an Almighty Power, confider'd together with Man's wants and weakneffes, is the great Reason we have, upon this Account, to repose a moft free, cheerful and abfolute Confidence in God, and to place our Perfons and Affairs in his Hands, with a firm and entire Refignation; for if God be Almighty, where can we be fafer than under the fhelter of Omnipotence? Or why should we fear what Man can do unto us when God, who holds the very Hearts of Men in his Hand vouchsafes to be our Safeguard and Defence? Especially when God hath done so great things already for us, whereof we rejoice; fince he has fo wonderfully delivered us from the Teeth of the Lion, and the Paws of the Bear, and heard us, as the Royal Prophet delights to phrase it, from among the Horns of the Unicorns;

what

what better ground of future Comforts
and Reliance could a moft glorious
Providence have fupplied us with? In
a word, as God is Omnipotent fo
he can fave us in all Dangers, and
free and rescue us in every Diftrefs;
and as he is Gracious, he will do fo.
But then our Cafe muft be, not to
diftruft his Power or Goodness; not
to misplace our confidence,
tempt by ill Arts and Methods, to be-
come our own Saviours. For then
may we furely expect to Perish, and
Miscarry, when ever we remove our
Hope from the true, fole and proper
Object of it.

or at

But laftly, and to conclude, fince we have felt and tafted by a blessed Experiment, that God is infinite in Power, and can do Wonders, fhould not this excite us to praise and adore that glorious Attribute, and exalt that Power which has rais'd us up from the Duft of Death, and the very Pit of Destruction! 'Twas the pious Custom of the Jewish Church, and 'tis now the practice of all Chriftian and well-govern'd States, to appoint Seafons of publick and folemn Thanksgivings, for Na