7. It is then a very foolish thing for any to contend against the welfare
wicked men cannot but take notice of it. Laban, a selfish idolater, was sensible of it: Gen. 30:27, 'I have found by experience that the Lord hath blessed me for thy sake.' It was a lesson so legible that he might have learned it sooner than in fourteen years. The church is the chief object of preservation, wicked men are preserved for their sakes; as dung is preserved, not for its own sake, but for the manuring a fruitful field, and thorns in the hedge are preserved for the garden's sake.
7. It is then a very foolish thing for any to contend against the welfare of God's people. It is to strive against an almighty and unwearied providence. Men may indeed sometimes be suffered by God for holy ends to have their wills, in some measure, upon the church, but not altogether; they must first depose him from his throne, blind his eyes, or hold his arm. It is as foolish as if a worm should design to dig down a mountain, or chaff to martial itself in battle array against the wind, or for a poor fly to stop the motion of a millstone.
(1.) It is foolish, because it is exceeding sinful. What is done against the church is rather done against God than against it; since all her constitution, worship, observances, are directed to God as their ultimate end; so that to endeavour to destroy the church is to deny
God a worship, deprive him of his sanctuary, break open his house, ravish his spouse, cut off Christ's body, rob him of his jewels, and will be so interpreted by God at the last, upon the scanning of things. If the church be God's house, the enemies shall answer for every invasion, every forcible entry, for the breaking down the gates and bars of it, God will sue them at last for dilapidations.
(2.) Very unsuccessful. Shall God be afraid of the multitudes and power of men? No more than 'a lion, or a young lion roaring after his prey, when a multitude of shepherds are called forth against them, shall he be afraid of their voice, or abase himself for their noise,' Isa.
31:4. Noise and clamour is all they can do, and that not long; the fierceness of the lion quickly scatters them. The associations, and men's girding themselves against the church, is but a preparation to
their own ruin: Isa. 8:9, 'Associate yourselves together, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces,' three times repeated. Your counsels, saith he, shall not stand against that presence of God that is with us, 'for God is with us.'
(3.) It is very destructive too. God will not alway be still and refrain himself; he seems to do so for a while, but when he doth arise he will destroy and devour at once, Isa. 42:14, he will make but one morsel of them. When God is angry with his people, and gives them into the hands of men to execute his justice upon them, and punish them, he will even punish those enemies for their cruelty, and going beyond their commission, in satisfying their own immoderate passions upon them. Upon this account God threatens Babylon: Isa. 47:6, 'I was wroth with my people; I have polluted mine inheritance, and given them into thy hand: thou didst shew them no mercy;' whereupon
God threatens them afterwards, &c.; so Zech. 1:15, God was sore displeased with the heathen, for when he was 'but a little displeased' with his people, 'they helped forward the affliction.'
Use 2. Is for comfort.
If all the providence of God be for the good of the church, if his eyes run to and fro to shew himself strong for them, it affords matter of great comfort. His providence is continual for them, Zech. 4:2. He hath seven pipes to convey kindness to them, as well as seven lamps whereby to discern their straits. His providence is as vast as his omniscience. The number of pipes belonging to the candlestick of the church is exact according to the number of lamps. The church's misery cannot be hid from God's eye, let it be in what part of the earth soever, for his eyes run to and fro throughout the whole earth, and his sight excites his strength. Upon the sight of their distressed condition he watches only for the fittest opportunity to shew himself strong for them. And when that opportunity comes he is speedy in the deliverance of them: Ps. 18:10, 'He rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he did fly upon the wings of the wind.' He doth not only ride upon a cherub, but fly. His wings are nothing but wind, which hath