opportunity came, but the other used to stay till opportunity was loft, Antiochus was no fuch Cunitator, ftayer till opportunity was loft, he practifed and fo profpered, and because he profpered, therefore he til further practifed. But when he faw delaying,and gaining time might advantage him, then hee would feek to put off,and fpin out time as much as he could. There is a famous ftory of Pompilius, being sent by the Senate of Rome to this Antiochus, to declare to him the pleasure of the Senate, that he must not goe to Egypt; Antiochus now requires time to deliberate, but Pompilius makes a circle about him with the staffe he had in his hand, and told him he must not goe out of that circle, til he had given his abfolute answer, I or No: But Antiochus would faine have put him off with a complement, but Pompilius rejects his complement, and bids him anfwer speedily, otherwife he knew what to doe. These fpeedy refolutions are of mighty advantage in many of the great affaires of the world, efecially when we have to deale with cunning adverfaries, who lye to catch advantages. The Text farther fayes, He fhall destroy wonderfully, he shall make fuch fpoile of faire plentifull countries, make fuch waste where he comes, leave all fo poore and miferable, as will be a wonder for any to fee it, who knew the Countrey in the plenty and riches of it,but a few weeks before he came into it, rea he fhall destroy the mighty and the holy people, men of brave fpirits, even gracious, godly men, and ftout, valiant men, yet they fhall fall before him : And ver. 25: Through his policie also he shall caufecraft to profper in his band: Ifthere be any devices, fhifts, cunning underminings,any false wayes in the world, he will make

use

ufe of them, and he fhall get advantage by them,and he shall magnifie himselfe in his heart. When he hath got an advantage any way, by falfifying promises, proteftations,or by what means foever, it fhall please him at the heart,he fhall magnifie him felf in his very heart, and others about him fhall puffe him up,and seek to magnifie him, and by peace he shall destroy many: That is,

1. By promifing peace, by treaties of peace, they fhall think all is well, now there will be peace, and fo being fecure,he fhall come upon them unawares, and destroy many.

Or 2.by peace,that is,by his profperity that he shal enjoy,all fhal account him happy,& thereby be ready to joyn with him; they fhal promise to themselves to be delivered from many troubles by comming in to him, Surely he will have the better of it, it is best for our Jafety (if we would hold our lands and eftates) to come in & joyne with him, and thus by his peace he ball destroy many.

Or 3. In pace, in peace, Calvin interprets thus: In a filent quiet way he fhall withdraw himselfe and his Forces; there fhall not be much noife of him, but hee fhall weary the Forces of the other and their party, and gaine time and advantages of them. When he seems to be quiet, and comes not against them in a hoftile way, even then shall be destroy many, yea bee fhall Stand up against the Prince of Princes. He fhall not acknowledge the Majefty,the power of God, he shal fet himself against those waies of Providence that are apparently against him, howsoever he will not fee it; but then fayes the Text, he fhall be broken without hand. God himself in fome wonderfull way that you know not of fhall break him, when all means faile,and all people shall be afraid that all will come

to

to ruine and mifery, then fhall he be broken without hand.

We complaine much of fad things that we fuffer, but we fuffer not fuch things as the people of God, fo deare unto him, fuffered in thofe times. Our fins cry as loud as theirs for the like miseries; but God is free in his grace. It is from the Lord of Hosts that we are preserved from fuch fearful evils as thefe. It may be fome may fay, Why, are we in any danger of fuch miferies as the Jews fuffered under Antiochus?

If bloody Papists, and cursing and blafpheming Cavaliers might have their wils on us, our miferies would foon parallel theirs, if not rife above them, feeing so many of them are got together, and they are growne to fuch a height in their rage, it is onely from this great Lord of Hofts that they break not in upon us as a deluge of the moft hideous woes, and dreadful miferies that ever befel any Christian Nation upon the face of the earth: but bleffed be the Lord, who hath not given us as á prey to their teeth. Let the Crown of all our mercies, and more efpecially of that great mercy in the late battel be set upon the head of this glorious Lord of Hofts. We reade 2 Sam. 12. 27, 28. when Foab fought against Rabbah, when the work was almoft done, he fent to David to come and take the City, that he might have the glory of it, that the Kings Crowne which was of gold and precious ftones might be fet upon Davids head. Although God hath made use of inftruments in this great work, and due honour is to be given to them, yet let the crown of the work be fet upon the : head ofthe Lord of Hofts.

I find in a Treatife of Plutarchs about the evill of taking honour to ones felfe, a notable relation of one Pytho, who having flaine a great enemie of the counTOT DE trey, whofe name was Cotys, whilft the officers of the se people were ftriving who fhould doe him moft hopanour, he speaks thus unto them: These things fome of

σαμεν.

the gods have done ; as for us we have but lent our hands to thus work. It is true,the General and many of our Captains and Souldiers have done worthily, but it is as true that they have onely lent their hands to this. work. The Lord of hofts hath done this great thing. both for them and us; If we would expreffe our respects to the General, and honour him as he hath deferved, in this thing efpecially, we should doe it to fpeake well of him before this Lord of Hofts, and to pray much for him..

It was a custome among the Romans, when a victory was got,to ufe folemne Proceffions for many dayes together, offering Prayers and Sacrifices to their gods in behalfe of their Generall. The manner was,after the victory to fend to the Senate Letters dight with Laurel, wherein was required that they would decernere Supplicationes, appoint fuch fo lemne Supplications for the Generall. The conclufion of all is, the glory of this great work must stick. no where,but paffe through all,to this our ftrong redeemer the Lord of hofts. Let that Doxologie oftheAngels, Efay 6.3. be ours this day, Holy, holy, holy, Lord of Hofts. The whole earth is full of thy glory. Let our ftreets, our congregations, our families, our hearts be now full of the glory of this Holy, holy, holy, Lord! of Hofts.

And

And thus you bave had one part of the glory of this great name of God opened and applyed.

If you will give me but a little time more, I will give you fome little glimpfe of the other part of this glorious name,and wind up all fuddenly.

God is the Lord of Hofts in refpect of that absolute command he hath over all creatures, he hath all creatures in heaven and earth under him, as a Generall hath his Souldiers: The Angels they are his Hofts. Pfal.68.17. The Charyots of God are twenty thoufand, even thousands of Angels, The Lord is among them as in Sinai. In the Hebrew, the word is in the fingular number the Charet, to note the joynt-fervice of all the Angels, they are but as one Charet, although they be many thoufands, yea Myriads of thousands as we have it here,there never is any mutiny amongst thefe Souldiers, their harmony is most bleffed, their union firm, indiffoluble. That which your English turns, Twenty thousand, even thousands, is Myriades thousands, and the word tranflated Angels is not elsewhere found in Scripture in that fignification, it comes of Shanah to second, as being fecond or next to God,the chiefe Princes, the Nobles of Gods Court, as Dan.10. 13. Michael one of the chiefe Princes: The Seventy tranflates the word wv, The chearfull ones, who ferve this Lord of Hofts readily, and freely,and joyfully in his wars, they derive it from the Hebrew,Shaan, which fignifies to bee in tranquility and joy, as in Sinni, that is, as God was in Sinai with ten thousand of his holy ones when hee gave the Law,Deut.33.2. fo he is in Sion likewise, the Angels Gods Hofts, makes Sion as dreadfull to all her enemies,as thofe Angels as appeared to God on Mount