e Lord hath set bounds to the great kings in the world
which they could not pass, when they have set themselves against the
Lord's people. We may see an example of this in Sennacherib. "Therefore
thus saith the Lord concerning the king of Assyria, He shall not come up
to this city, nor shoot an arrow against it, nor come before it with
shield, nor cast a bank against it." Ye are afraid of the king, that he
come against you: fear not, the Lord by His restraining power is able to
keep him back, that he shall not shoot so much as a bullet against this
city.

2. God removes impediments by His _assisting power_, as He promised to
do before Cyrus. "I will go before thee, and make the crooked places
straight; I will break in pieces the gates of brass, and cut in sunder
the iron bars." Albeit for any thing we see, there be brazen gates, and
iron bars, closing out a reformation: yet let not this discourage you;
God is with you by His assisting power to go before you, to make all
crooked places straight, and to break the brazen gates, and to cut in
sunder the iron bars.

3. God hath a _changing power_, whereby He makes mountains plain: how
easy is it with God, to make the highest mountain that impedes His work
a plain? "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the rivers of
waters, to turn it whithersoever He will." Lord make our mountains thus
plain.

The 4th way how God removes mountains, is by an _overthrowing power_:
If there be no change yet, God will bring it down. "Every one that is
lifted up shall be brought low."

By this which hath been said, ye may understand how a mountain may be
made plain. God makes mountains plains, either in mercy or in wrath. 1.
In mercy, when He takes a grip of the heart, and of a proud haughty
heart, makes it toward and plain: we have seen such a change by
experience. This work had many enemies at the beginning, that impeded
it, whom God hath taken by the heart, and made plain; yea, He hath made
them furtherers of the work.

2. There is another way of making mountains plain, to wit, making plain
in wrath; when God overthrows the mountains that stand up impeding His
work. Assure yourselves, if God bring not down this mountain we have to
do with, in mercy, He shall overthrow it in wrath, and make it waste.
That I may make this mountain more plain, ye shall consider how it shall
become a plain, and how easily it may be made a plain.

1. I see you looking up to the height of it, and y