but all their curses could not harm him, for God was with him. The
them, he goes accompanied with the sound of trumpets and shouts of the people, signs of their joy and courage; so it fared with the Israelites, because of that special presence of God that was among them, which was evident by his protecting and defending of them: 1 Sam. 4:5, "And when the ark of the covenant of the Lord came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth rang again." Here is a valorous shout of a powerful people, encouraging each other to the battle, and a victorious shout as having obtained the victory in the battle.
Just so, 2 Chron. 13:12, "And behold, God himself is with us for our captain, and his priests with sounding trumpets to cry alarm against you, O children of Israel." Num. 23:23, "Surely there is no enchantment against Jacob, neither is there any divination against Israel;" that is, there is none against Israel that shall be of force, or that shall take any effect to do the posterity of Jacob or Israel any hurt, any harm, any damage. But why? Because the Lord his God is with him, and the shout of a king is among them. The presence of God with his Israel blasts all Balaam's enchantments, and makes null and void all his divinations.
God is with his people to counsel them in all doubtful and difficult cases, and to defend them, and secure them against all their enemies and opposers. Balaam had a mind to curse the people of God, as his unwearied endeavors to that purpose do abundantly evidence, Num. 23:1, 13, 28-29, and 24:1; but the presence of God with his people prevented all his mischievous designs. Shimei curses David—but his curses could not hurt him, for God was with him, 2 Sam. 16:7, 9, 1112. The people generally cursed Jeremiah, chapter 15:10, and 1:17-19; but all their curses could not harm him, for God was with him. The Jews in their prayers daily curse the Christian churches—but all their curses can't prejudice them, because God is in the midst of them,
Exod. 20:24. And who will say that the reformed churches are one pin the worse for all the pope's excommunications and execrations?
The special presence of God with his people is a most sovereign antidote against all the curses and cursings of cursed men, and therefore whatever you part with—be sure that you don't part with your God; let him be but in the midst of you, and then no curses shall be prevalent against you.
This age abounds with such monsters, whose mouths are full of curses; but if every curse should stick a visible blister on the curser's tongue, as it does insensible ones on the curser's soul, their tongues would quickly be too big for their mouths, and they would soon grow weary of cursing the people of God, the things of God, the ways of God, the providences of God, and the faithful dispensers of the mysteries of God. But the best of it is, when they have done their worst, and spat out all their curses, "the curse causeless will not come," Proverbs 26:2, for the ever-blessed God is in his people, and with his people, and among his people, and "a wall of fire always around his people," Zech. 2:5, and therefore they are safe and secure enough when men and devils have done their worst. But,
[10.] Tenthly and lastly, to exhort all the people of God so to live and conduct themselves, so as to keep the divine presence—so as to keep the special, the singular presence of God with them in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, consider—that the divine presence will make up the absence of all outward comforts. This gracious presence will supply and fill up the place of a friend, a child, a father, a husband. Some of the rabbis write that manna had all sorts of tastes and all sorts of sweets in it. Be that as it may, I am sure that the favorable presence of God has all sorts of sweets in it, Psalm 4:6-7; Proverbs 4:23. It has the
sweet of all ordinances in it, it has the sweet of all duties in, it has the sweet of all church privileges in it, it has the sweet of all relations in it, it has the sweet of all your outward comforts in it; and therefore, above all keeping, keep the presence of God with you.
Many in their distresses and miseries are full of complaints. One cries out, he lacks a faithful friend; another cries out, he lacks a helpful family member; a third cries out that he lacks necessaries both for back and belly; a fourth cries out he lacks the means which others enjoy; but he who enjoys the gracious presence of God finds all these lacks made up to him—yes, he finds the divine presence to be infinitely better than the presence of all outward comforts. As Elkanah said to Hannah, "Am not I better than ten sons?" 1 Sam. 1:8, so assuredly the presence of the Lord is wonderfully better than all other things, to every soul that has tasted the sweetness of it.
You know that one sun is more glorious, delightful, useful, and comfortable than ten thousand stars; just so here. Seneca tells a courtier that had lost his son, that he had no cause to mourn, either for that or anything else, so long as his king was in safety, and he in favor with his king; he had all things in him, and he would be unthankful to his good fortune if he were not cheerful both in heart and look, so long as things stood so with him as they did.
How much more may we say to every sincere Christian who enjoys the gracious presence of God with him, let your needs and your crosses be ever so great, your afflictions ever so pressing, your necessities ever so biting—you have no just cause to be troubled or dejected, so long as you are in favor with God, and enjoy the presence of God. All mercies, all comforts, all contentments, all enjoyments—they meet and center in the gracious presence of God, as all lights meet in the sun, and as all waters meet in the sea; and