1.

We ourselves in this Land may by experience know this, for we once suppos'd and fear'd that Forreigne foes by invasion might worke our ruine; and to this end prepar'd our Ships, &c. but And now perhaps he may destroy us by them contrary to our feare.now quite contrary to the expectation of most (though indeed alwayes feared by some) God hath met with us, by sending a spirit of dis-unity among us, which is now like, without Gods especiall mercy, to worke our utter destruction. I might therefore shew how he hath somtimes feared a place with one plague and punished it with another, but what hath beene spoke may shew sufficiently his variety, &c. Job 25. 3.For who can number his armies. (saith Job) he hath so many none can tell the number of them. And yet besides all his visible judgements (and the Earth, the Sea, and all things in them are ready to excute his command: the Heavens, the Stars, &c are all at a becke to doe what he pleaseth) he hath an invinsible Army consisting of twenty thousand charets; nay, Psal. 68. 17. Dan. 7. 10.even thousands of Angels who are without number: therefore who can but assent to this truth, that God hath variety of punishments to inflict upon wicked men, &c.

Which yet will more manifestly appeare, if we consider how he hath met with men in those places where they expected safety, and where it was thought no feare could come: nay, which were so strong or free shot, that it was thought impossible for any harme to enter; from which It was thought troubles were so far, that they were reforted unto by men to take delight in; even in those places, I say, God hath oftentimes vexed men with una oydable misq ies. Thus he met with those rebellious Jews, who; notwithstanding they were forewarn'd, would needs go into Egypt, because, as they thought, there they should neither see nor feele any evill; but even there, contrary to their expectation, the Lord threatned evill should finde them out; Jer. 42. 14, 15, 16.The sword (saith he) that you feared shall overtake you there in the Land of Egypt, and the famine whereof you were afraid shall follow close after you into Egypt, and there ye shull dye. And the very like doth another Prophet threaten against those who expected help or deliverance from Egypt: Isa. 30.3.The strength of Phraoh shall be your shame, and the trust in the shadow of Egypt, your confusion: Even there where they hoped to finde comfort, and by whom they expected deliverance, there they sound sorrow, and they became a snare unto them, and their hopes not onely failed, but they were in a worse condition then otherwayes they would have been in; for they on whom they leaned did not onely breake, out wonnded them: And indeed it befalls many times thus to men that fly from danger, they finde worse entertainment then they departed from. Josh. 10. 16, 24, 25, 26.Those five Kings that warred against Joshua , thought they had been past danger when they escaped from the Field and fled into a cave at Makkedah: but destruction followed after them, and a worse death (more shamefull and ignominious) hapned unto them then that from which they fled. Ezek. 9. 6. Vid. infra.In a word, there is no place free from dangers, or that can priviledge those whom God will have punished: judgements oftentimes begin at the Lords Sanctuary, and in those places where men think [Page 26] themselves safest, they there meet with the most dangers, so that by this likewise the point is more cleerely proved, &c.

And as the inflicting punishments upon men in all places doth witnesse the Lords variety of punishments, so doth his sending them upon all sorts of men: the rich man is not spared for his wealth, nor the poore man for his poverty, nor the noble man for his honour, nor the Magistrate for his authority, &c. but all sorts, and all conditions, if they offend, are met with, one way or other.

God can doe unto wicked men for their destruction, as he did unto Job for his correction, and you know what sundry meanes he had to make him poore, though a very rich man, and one whom men in the world might think almost a thing impossible to make poore: Job 1. 15, 16, 17, 18, 19.he had the Sabebeans, the Caldeans, a fire from Heaven, and a great wind from the wildernesse to bring to passe what he had determined; so that nothing could save Job from these judgements, which, though to him they were but fatherly corrections, yet, I say, may shew us what severall sorts of puments he hath to meet with the richest man that is, if hee walke otherwayes then he would have him.