TheficondS E R M o N ?f all. Recount ~~e Governement ofthepeople,as ifit were fome!feciall11Jirade. And mdeed, a mtracle lt 1S; and whofoever fhalllook into the nature and wei<>ht of allfo. Exod.4-J. n4rchie, will fo acknowledge ir. The Rod of Government is amirat.,to! Rod: both Nnmb.• 7 · 8 · that ofMofer,for itwouldrurne into aforpmt,and b:tckeagaine:andAaron's rod too for, of adry and feare fiicke,it came tobloffome again< and tobeare ripe almond;: T~ , fhew; that, every Governmentismira,·u/om, and containeth in it mart'r of wonde;, and that in two refpects. ,. For,wheras there is natttrally in every man a feeking his own eafe;to lyefoking in Ezek.• q; his broth(as Ezekiel fpeaketh ; ) not to qc criflosfr'atri>,norto affiict and vcxe his foule Gcn.H· with the care of others: it is furely fupermturall,to cndurerhat carke and care,which the Governorm continually doe (a matterrhat we.inferiours can little skill of;) bur to readEJ nofiedormire non potreit re.-.:, Such a night the ~ing couldnorfieepe; And againe, Such a night no meat would downe with the King, and helifled not to heare an7 UYtrtjike: To endure this (I fay)is fupernaturall, and it is Go o,which above all na· EO:cr.&.r. Dan.6.!!~ ture,by His mighty fpirir workerh ir in them. z Againe whereas there is,in every inferiour,a mturall \vlldnelfe or unwillingn,e!fe Num.s6.n. tO brookeany Ii.reler,or lud'ge overthem (as was told Mofes flatly to his flee;) For, by nature, the people are not like {heepe: It is not (certainly) any power ofman, but ameere fupernarurall thing, ro keepe the nations of the earth in fuch awe and order ·, Rcg. 1 . 9 : as we feethem in. ~upotljl(faith Salomon) who is able, to mannagcthismignri; multitude; fo huge in number, f'o un-ruly in affection~ 7{gnne potejlatemhabtol Have not I power (faith Pi/ate) But our S A v I o u R CH R I s T very fitly tel· Iob., 9 .n. lcth him, Power hee hath indeed, but it is not innata, but data defuper; and exceptit Ver(~:t9· ! 1f.l,6 S·7• were given him from above, he fhould have none at all. It is Tudu.-.:ifli that cloth it: eyen Thou 0 Lord, and thine Almighty power, thath<ildefi them under. And very fitly from the wonder in appea.fir;g the{ea (in thelafiverie before) cloth theProphtt paffe (in this) rothe leadjngof thepeople : Their natures arealike; Himfelfe, in one verfe, matcheth them ;>'4.:'hou rreleftt'he ragingof the Sea andthe noy(e of the waver and the madnejfe 8( the people. That is'•: no leffe unruly and enraged, by narureisthe l'f•l •· 1 ; multitude, than theSea. No l~lfe it roarerh, Dirumpamm vincrtla eorum,and Nolumus Luk.•9·'4· hrmc regnare[uper nos, when Godunloofeth it. Ofone and the fame power it pro. ceedcth,ro kceptl)em both withinrheir bankes :Thou that calmefi theone,charmdt alfo the other. . ~um.!'-"• Wherefore when wee fee that carefull mind in aPrince (I willufe Mofeowne words) tocarrie a people in herdrmes, a<if foe hadconceivedthem inher wombe,as no ·nurfe, no mother rnoretender: and againe, when we fee this iumulruous and tempe· fiuous bodie, this fame Seaof popularity kept in aquiet ca.lme, and infinite millions ebbing and flowing (as it were) that is, fiirring and fianding fiill, arming anddif.. arming tbemfe!ves,killing and being killed,and all at the rnonofyllahtes ofone perfon, ~tili.S.g. Goe andthey goe, Come andthey come,Doe andthey Doe-it, -Let us fee Godfcnfibly init, and the power of G o o, yea, the miraculous power of G o o ; and fay with the Prophet, Thou art the God, that doefl wonders, T,hortleddejl thy peoplelike Sheepe6y the hands of <M~fes and c.Aaro»• And fo much for the firfi part, firft word, and perfon. u; 71>< focontl Part. Duxi!H. Jixod,17,IS'• '1'6.9·'· ~r.Ls: .•. The fecond word comprifeth the benefit ilfliing fromCod, which is aledingor. conduct, the fecond pan. · A word ofgreat compaffe, and includeth many luditJg> under it. For, to bee our Iehovah.Nifi, ourjlandard-bearer,andtoleadeourFor! ccsin field; To be ourwonderft~llCortnfellor, and to lead that honourable Boord. To fit in themidaejl ofoter Iudges,a.~dto lr«dthem in giving_fentence; All thefe an~ m~re than thefe are all in du.-.:ifli. And all thefe are efpwall favours: but the chtefe of all and that whereofall thcfe are but the traine,is the leading us in hisheavenly truth, and in the way of His Commandements, to the landoftheliving. Alltherdl~rtend upon this : this is chiefe> and therefore theleadingofprincipall enrcndmcntdJ · An
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