due your iniquities; I will sanctify you v holly, and put my fear in your hearts that you shall not depart from me. Though your corruptions be strong and many, yet the aids of my Spirit, the cleansing virtue of my blood, and the physic of my correction, shall so work together with your prayers and endeavours, as that they shall not prevail against you, but shall surely fall before you.

3. From the gaol of the grave.

V

From the strong and stinking gaol of the grave do I deliver you. O death, I will be thy plague; O grave, I will be thy destruction; my beloved shall not ever see corruption. I will change your rottenness into glory; and make your dust arise and praise me.w What is sown in weakness, I will raise in power; what is sown in corruption, I will raise in incorruption; what is sown a natural body, I will raise a spiritual body. This very flesh of yours, this corruptible flesh, shall put on incorruption, and this mortal shall put on immortality; death shall be swallowed up in victory, and mortality of life. Fear not, O my children;

q Mic. vii. 19. Jer. iii. 12. r 1 Thes. v. 23, 24. ́s Jer. xxxii. 40. Ezek. xxxvi. 37. Eph. v. 29. Isa. xxvii. 9. u Hos. xiii. 14. v Psalm xvi. 10. w Dan. xxii. 2, 3, Isa. xxvi. 19. 1 Cor. xv. 42, 43, 44. y 1 Cor. xv. 53. 22 Cor. v. 4. 1 Cor. xv. 54.

come and I will shew you the enemy that you dreaded: see, here lies the king of terrors, like Sisera in the tent, fastened to the ground, with the nails struck through his temples. Behold the grateful present, the head of your enemy in a charger: I bequeath you your conquered adversary, and make over death as your legacy." O'death, where is thy sting? Where now is thine armour, wherein thou trustedst? Come, my people, enter into your chambers; come to your beds of dust, and lay you down in peace, and let your flesh rest in hope,d for even in this flesh shall you see God, O ye slain of death, your carcases, now as loathsome as the carrion in the ditch, will I redeem from the power of the grave; and fashion those vile bodies like unto the glorious body of your exalted Redeemer. g Look, if you can, on the sun when shining in his strength; with such dazzling glory will I clothe you, O ye of little faith.h

4. From the dungeon of eternal darkness. From the terrible dungeon of eternal darkness do I hereby free you. Fear not, you shall not be hurt of the second death. You ⚫ are delivered from the wrath to come, and

xix. 25, 26, 27.

h Mat. xiii. 43.

a 1 Cor. iii. 22. b 1 Cor. xv. 55. c Isa. xxvi. 20. d Isa. lvii. 2. e Psalm xvi. 9. f Psalm xlix. 15. g Phil. iii. 21. iRev. ii. 11. Rom. vrii. 1.

shall never come into condemnation. The flames of l'ophet shall not be able to singe the hairs of your head; no, nor the smell of the fire pass upon you. Stand upon the brink, and look down into the horrible pit, the infernal prison, from whence I have freed you. See you how the smoke of their torments ascendeth for ever? Hear you the cursings and ravings, the roarings and blasphemies? What think you of those hellish fiends? Would you have been willing to have had them for your companions and tormentors?" What think you of those chains of darkness? Or of the rivers of brimstone, of the instruments of torment for soul and body, of those weepings, and wailings, and gnashings of teeth? Can you think of an everlasting banishment, of

a "Go ye cursed" Could you dwell with everlasting, could you abide with devouring fire? This is the inheritance you were born to; but I have cut off the entail, and wrought for you a great salvation. Í have not ordained you to wrath; but my thoughts towards you, are thoughts of peace.

j1 Thes. y. 10. John v. 24. k Dan. iii. 27. 1 Rev. xiv. 11. m Mat. xxv. 30. n Mat. xxv. 41. • Mat. viii. 12. p Isa. xxxiii. 14. r 1 Thes. v. 9. • Jer. xxix. 11.

9 Eph. ii.. 3.

III. Our protection from all enemies: 1. From the arrests of the law.

all

Here I deliver you your protection. From enemies I will save you; I grant your you a protection from the arrests of the law; your surety hath fully answered it." My justice is satisfied, my wrath is pacified, my honour is repaired. Behold, I am near that justify you; who is he that shall condemn you?

2. From the usurped dominion of the powers of darkness.

I will tread satan shortly under you, and I will set your feet in triumph upon the necks of your enemies. Let not your hearts be troubled, though you be to wrestle with principalities and powers, and the rulers of the darkness of this world: For stronger is He that is in you, than He that is in the world: He may bruise your heel, but you shall bruise his head. a

Behold your Redeemer, leading captivity captive, spoiling principalities and powers, and triumphing over them openly in his cross. See how satan falleth like lightning from heaven; and the Samson of your salvation beareth away the gates of hell, posts and all, up

12 Kings xvii. 39. Gal. iii. 13. Rom. iv. 10. ▾ Dan. ii. 24. 2 Cor. v. 19, 20. w Isa. 1. 8. * Rom. xvi. 20. y Eph. vi. 12. z1 John iv. 4. a Gen. iii. 15. b Col. ii. 15. c Luke x. 18.

...

on his shoulders, and setteth them up as trophies of his victory! How he pulleth out the throat of the lion, and lifteth up the heart of the traitor upon the top of his spear, and washeth his hands and dyeth his robes. in the blood of those your enemies!d

3. From the victory of the world.

Neither its frowns nor its flatteries shall be too hard for your victorious faith.e Though it raise up Egypt, and Amalek and Moab, and all its whole militia against you, yet it shall never keep you out of Canaan. Be of good comfort, your Lord hath overcome the world. Though its temptations be very powerful, yet this upon my faithfulness will I promise you-that no such shall come upon you, but what you shall be able to bear. But if I see such trials(which you fear) would be too hard for your graces, and overthrow your souls, I will never suffer them to come upon you; nay, I will make your enemy to serve you; and do be-queath the world, as part of your dowry, to you.h

4. From the curse of the cross..

Afflictions shall prove a wholesome cup to you; your Lord hath drunk the venom

d Isa. Ixiii. 1, 2, 3. e1 John v. 4. Gal. i. 4. f John xvi. 33. g 1 Cor. x. 13. h 1 Cor. iii. 22. i Psalm cxix. 71..