the Lord; and thus he is present with wicked men, sometimes
5. Fifthly, There is a JUDICIAL or WRATHFUL presence of the Lord; and thus he is present with wicked men, sometimes blinding them, sometimes hardening them, sometimes leaving them to their own heart's lusts, sometimes giving them up to their own heart's lusts, sometimes filling their faces with shame, and their consciences with terrors. [See Exod. 9:14; Isaiah 6:9-10, and 64:1-4; Psalm 81:12; 2 Thes. 2:11-12; Psalm 68:2; Jer. 4:26; Ezek. 38:20; Hab. 1:12.] He is judicially present with wicked men by a particular observation of their persons and ways, Psalm 33:13-14; Job 34:21-22. He sees who they are, and how they are employed against his honor, his interest, his saints, his ways. He is judicially present with wicked men by a special detestation of their persons and ways, etc. But this is not that presence that at this time falls under our consideration; and therefore,
6. Sixthly and lastly, There is a GRACIOUS, a favorable, a special, or eminent presence of the Lord with his faithful people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, as the Scriptures do everywhere evidence. [The compassionate parent is most with the sick child; so here.] Take a taste of some: Gen. 39:20, "And Joseph's master took him, and put him into the prison, a place where the king's prisoners were bound, and he was there in the prison;" verse 21, "But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favor in the sight of the keeper of the prison." A prison cannot keep God away from his people. Witness the apostles and martyrs, whose prisons, by God's presence, became palaces; and their chains, by God's presence, became a music-school, Acts 16:25.
If men knew by experience the delight which is in suffering for Christ, they would desire with Chrysostom, if it were put to their choice, rather to be Paul a prisoner of Jesus Christ, than Paul enrapt