1. Will you fear man, who have a God to secure you? The church
the cannon from the church, or arm it against the shot; either preserve it from a danger, protect it in it, or sanctify it to the church; and who need fear a sword in a father's hand?
1. Will you fear man, who have a God to secure you? The church belongs to God, not to man as a just propriety: Isa. 43:1, 'Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by my name: thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee,' &c.
'Thou art mine,' not man's. Thou art mine, I am thine. I will be with thee as thine, I will secure thee as mine. Is my creating, is my forming, is my redeeming thee to no purpose? I will not secure you from trouble; but surely my redemption of you, the propriety I have in you, should secure you from fears in those troubles. None shall hurt you whilst I have power to defend you. GOD WITH US, if well considered and believed, is sufficient to still those fears which have the greatest outward objects for their encouragement: Ps. 27:1, 'The Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I he afraid?' If God be our strength to support us, why should the weakness of dust and ashes scare us? Alliance to great men, and protection of princes, prop up men's hearts against the fear of others; and shall alliance to God be of a weaker efficacy? A heathen* could so argue, that knew nothing of redemption. Let the counsels of enemies be crafty, Ps.
83:3; yet they consult against God's hidden ones, hidden by God, whilst plotted against by men: who would fear the stratagems of men, whilst protected in an impregnable tower? God hides, when men are ready to seize the prey. How did the angel protect a sincere trembling Lot against the invasion of a whole city, and secured his person whilst he blinded his enemies' eyes that they could not find the door. Instruments cannot design more maliciously, than Christ watches over them affectionately. Christ hath his eye to see your works and danger where Satan hath his throne, Rev. 2:13.
2. Will you fear men, who have a God to watch over their motions?
What counsels can prevail where God intends to overrule their resolves? There is no place so close as to keep private resolutions from his knowledge. This was the thought of those statesmen against