B G r DE o N s 'l:>reparation andViElory, G roE~ N s Preparation and PiElory. Fall thcinllruments that God did ulc in fogrcat a workc, I find none fo 1y<•kcas Gideon, who yer (of all orhen) was llilcd vali>nt: narurall valour may well !land with fpiriruall cowardiCe. Before he knew that he fpake with a God, he might have jull colours for his dillrull; bur af.tcr God had approved his prefence, and Almighty power, by fetchmg fire our of the !lone, then, to call fora watery figne of his promifed dcliverance,was noother than to powrcwater upon the fire of the fpitit. C The former triall god gave,vanill1ed; this'"upon qideons choice; and intreaty: The former miracle was llrongenough to carryq tdtoa thorow his firll exploit ofruinating the Idolatrous Grovc,and Altar; bur now when he fawrhc lwarmc of the Midianites and Amalekites about his cares, he cals for new aid, and nor trulling ro his Abiezritcs, and hts other rhoufauds of llrael,hc runs to God fora further atfurance of vi&ory. The refuge was good, but the ma~ner of fccking it., favours of dillrull. There is nothing more ealie than to be vahant when no penll appearetl1; but;whcn evils atfaile us upon e<p~all termes, it is hard, and commendable, nor to be difmayed. If God bad made that proclamation now, which afterwards was commanded to be made by Gideon, Let the timerou1 depart; Idoubt whether Ifracl had not wantad a D Guide: yet how willing is the Almighty to fatisfic our 1veak ddires! What tasks is He content to be let by our infirmity? The fleece mull be wet, and the ground dry; the ground mull be wet, and the fleece dry : Both are done; that uow q ideon may fee whether he wouldmake himlclfe bard earth,or yeeldingwool· Godcouldatpleafurc dillingui{hbetwixt him, and the Midianites; and powr~ downe either mercies or judgement where he !ills ; aod that hewas let on worke ' by that Godwhich can command all the Elements, and they obey him. Fire, 1varer, earth,ferve both him and (when he will) his. And now, when q ideon had his reciprocal! proofe ofhis inluin<> fuccetfc,he goes on (as he well may) harneffed with :rcfolution, and is fecne i~ the head of his E troops,andinthefaceoftheMidianites. If we cannot make up the march with God, when "we have our mvne asking, we are worthy to lit our. q ide<n l1ad but thirty two thoufand fouldicrs at his heelos;The Midianitcs covered all the valley, like Gra!hoppers: and now, whiles the Ifraelircs thinke, Wee are too fe1v; Godfaycs, Thtptoplearetoomany. If the Ifraelires mull have look~d for victory from their fingers, they might well have fa id, The Midianites are too many for us: but that GoCJ, whole r.houghts and words arc unlike to mens, fayes, They .re toom•nyjor me to give the <Midi•nitts into their hands. If humane llrepgth were to be oppofed, there !hould have needed an equality; but now, God meant to give thcvtClory,his care is not howto get ir,but how not to lole or blemill1 the glory, of irgotten. How jealous God is of his honour! He is willing to give deliverance to I frael,but the praife ofthe dtlivarancc be will keep to himlclfe, -and will lhorten
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