CHAP III
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
infhaking theworld by his terriblejudgments, but yet, though national troubles muſt neceſſarilycome,the wiſeſt ofmencannot poſitivelydetermine the preciſe time of thoſe judgments ; we may indeed, by the ſigns of the times, difcern their near approach ; yet ourjudgment canbe but probable and conjectural, feeingthereare tacit conditions in the dreadfullest threatenings,
Jer. xviii. 7, 8. Jonah iii. 9, 10. And fuch is the merciful nature of God, that he oft-times turns away his anger from his people, when it seems ready to pour down upon them, Pfal.
Ixxviii. 38.
The confideration whereof no way indulges fecurity, but encourages to repentance and greater fervency in Prayer.
CHAP .
III .
Openingand confirming the second propoſition, viz. That God's ownpeopleare much concernedin, and ought to befuitably affectedwith thosejudgments that befal the nationwherein they live.
Sect. 1.
F God's people have no concernment in theſe things, why children in their chambers, hide themselves, and ſhut their doors, till the indignation be over-paſt ? Certainly though God hath better provided for them than others, yet they are two ways concernedintheſe caſes as much as others : viz ,
1. Upon a political 2.Uponareligious } Account.
1. Upona political account, as they are membersof thecommunity, and ſo are equally concerned in the good or evil that befal thenation in which they live, their cabins must follow the fate of the ſhip in which they fail, their lives, liberties, eſtates, and intereſt ſink and swim with the public.
The good figs were carried awaywith the bad, Jer. xxiv. 5.
In theſe outward reſpects it often-times bears ashard upon the righteous as upon the wicked.
Ezek. xxi . 3. " I will draw forth my " fword out of his ſheath, and will cutofffrom thee the righ- " teous and the wicked."
In theſe outward reſpects, as it is with the good, ſo with the ſinner, Eccl. ix. 2. The ſame fire that burns thedry tree, often-times burns the green tree too,
Ezek. xx. 47. Grace is above all hazards, but creature-enjoymentsand comforts are not. The ſins of the Sodomites involve
The Righteous Man's Refuge. not only their own houſes and eſtates, but Lot's alſo, in the ruin and overthrow ; wicked men often fare the better for the company of the godly, and the godly often fare the worſe for the companyof the wicked.
And it is not to be wondered at, ifwe conſider thateven the faints themselves have an hand in the provocation of theſejudgments, as well as others, Deut. xxxii. 19. "And when the " Lord ſaw it, he abhorred thembecauſe of the provoking ofhis
" ſons and of his daughters." We have contributed to the common heap of guilt, and therefore muſt justifyGod if we partakewith others inthe commoncalamity.
2. They are greatlyconcerned in ſuchjudgments upon a religious and Chriſtian account, for it is uſual for the flood of God'sjudgments not only to fweep away our civiland natural, but our ſpiritual and beſt enjoyments and comforts. Thus the ordinances ofGod ceaſed in Babylon, and there the faithfulbewailed their miſery upon thataccount, Pfal. cxxxvii. per totum;
" we wept whenwe remembered thee, O Zion."
Not only Ifrael flies, but the ark is taken prifoner by the enemy, I Sam. iv. II . And you find the people ofGodmoredeeply concerneduponthis account, than for all their outward loſſes and others ſufferings, Zeph. iii, 18. " I will gather them of thee that " are forrowful for the folemn afſſemblies, to whomthe re- " proach of it was aburthen." For by how much our souls are more excellent than our bodies, and the concerns of eternity over-balance thoſe of time; by ſo much the more are we concerned inthe lofs of our ſpiritual, more than of our temporal mercies and enjoyments.
Grace indeed cannot be loſt, but the means and inſtruments by which it is begotten may; the golden candlestick is one of the moveables inGod's houſe, Rev. ii. 5.
Thus you fee a twofold concernmentthat the people ofGod have in the effects of nationaljudgments.
Sect. 2. This being ſo, how ſhould all that fearGod be affected with the appearances and ſigns of his indignation ? So was David, Pfal. cxix. 120.
My fleſh trembleth for fearofthee, " and I am afraid of thy judgments." He that feared not a bear, a lion, aGoliah, yet trembleth at God's judgment.
So did Habakkuk, chap. iii. ver. 16. " When I heard, mybelly "
" trembled, my lips quivered at the voice, rettenneſs entered ** into my bones."
Expreſſions denoting the deepeſt ſeizures of fear and greatest conſternations ; not that I would perfuade you to fuch ſlaviſh fear,or unchriſtian dejection, as it is not only finful in itself, but the cauſe andinlet of many other fins: but
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
ΙΟΙ toaduefenſe both of the evils of miſery that will befal the nationwhenGod's indignation comes upon it; and the evils of finthat have incenſedit; and toſuch a fear of both as may ſeaſonably awaken us to the use of all preventingremedies. And first, 1. O that all would lay to heart the national miſeries that God's indignation threatens upon us.
It is ſaid, Pfal. cvii. 34.
" A fruitful land is turned intobarrenneſs for the wickedneſs of " them that dwell therein."
It was long ſince told England by one of its faithful watchmen *, ' The nation and church in • which we are, is the common ſhip in which we are all em- • barked, and ifthis injudgment becaſt away, whetherdaſh- • ed against the rocks of any foreign power, or ſwallowed up
•inthe quickſands ofdomestic diviſions, it must need ha- • zard all the paſſengers : Or ifyou were fure, that for your
* parts you might be ſafe, would it notbe abitter thing to ſtanduponthe ſhore, and ſee ſuch a glorious veſſel as this nation is, tobe caſt away ? To ſee this glorious landdefaced,
•thebleſſed goſpel polluted, the golden candlestick removed, * itcannotbut affect men that have anybowels.
' Or if this moveyou not, yet to see a ſtranger to lord it in thy habitation, and thy dwelling-place to caſt thee out; for *your delightſomedwellings, your fruitful, pleasant, andwelltilled fields to be madea prey; for you to fow, and another
' to reap, impias hasfegetess for thedelicate woman upon whom the wind must notblow, to he expoſed to the luft and crueltyofanenemy, and beglad to fly awaynakedtoprolong
' amiferable life, which they would beglad to part with for 'death, were it not for fear of the exchange.
For the tender ' mother to look upon the child of her womb, and confider, * muſt this child inwhom I have placedthe hope ofmy age ;
' for, Omnis in Ascanioftat chari cura parentis ; 'He that hath been ſo tenderly bred up, muſt he fall into the rough hands ofa bloody ſoldier, ſkilful to deſtroy ? It had
'beenwell for me ifGod had given me dry breasts, or a mifcarrying womb, rather than to bring forth children unto murtherers; or ifyou might be ſafe, how could you endure
' to ſee the miſeries that ſhould come uponyour people, and ' the deſtruction of your kindred."
Thus far he.
But alas !
Whatſecurityhave any ofusas toour earthly comfortsfromthe commoncalamity ? We may pleaſe ourſelves as Baruchdid, Jer.
*Mr. Strong
The Righteous Man's Refuge. xlv. 4, 5. and dream ofexemption, butby ſomuch the greater will our diſtreſs be,when it ſhall ſurprize us.
2. You that are the people ofGod ought tobe deeply affected with the ſpiritual miſeries that threaten us in theday of God's indignation: do you conſider what the removing the candlestick out of its place is ? Adeparting goſpel, the going downofthefunupon the prophets, the lofs of your ſweet fabbaths, andgoſpel feasts, and thegroſsdarkness ofpopery to fill the earth : O it ishard parting with theſe things.
It is ſaid, I Sam. vii . 2. when the ark was removed, " that allthe houſeof " Ifrael lamented after the Lord."
Pity your own fouls, and be deeply affected with the miſery of others, the poor Chriftleſs world, who are like to periſh for want of viſion, Prov. xxix. 18. In the year 1072, faith Matthew Paris, preaching was fuppreffed atRome, andthen letters were framed by fome as comingfrom hell ; inwhich the devil gives them thanks for the multitude offouls ſent tohim that year.
3. But eſpecially labour to affect your hearts with the fin thathave incenſed God's indignation: Sodid the faints in Jerufalem, Ezek. ix. 4. they ſighed and mourned for all the abominations committed in it.
So did Lot, 2Pet. ii. 7." He vexed " his righteous foul from day to day."
So did David, Pfal. cxix. 136. " Rivers ofwater rundown mine eyes, becauſe men " kept not thy law." O whothat lovesGod can refrain tears, toſee theGod ofpity, theGod oftender mercies, a Father full ofbowels of compaſſion, ſo incenſed and provoked to indignation! Oh, it is an heart-melting confideration where there is any ingenuity.
If our afflictions grieveGod to the heart, as it doth, Judges x. 16. our souls ſhouldbegrieved for his diſhonour.
4. To conclude, get uponyour hearts ſuch aſenſe ofGod's indignation as mayquicken you tothe use ofpreventingduties.
So Amos iv. 12. "Because I will do this, prepare to meet " thy God, O Ifrael."
So the prophet, Zeph. ii. 1, 2.
" Gather yourſelves together before the decreebring forth."
Itwas Mofes's honour to ſtand in the breach, Pfal. cvi. 23.
And Abraham's to plead fo with God, though hedid notprevail.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
CHAP.
IV.
Confirming the thirdpropoſition. viz. That God hath aspecial and peculiar care ofhis own people in thedays of his indig. nation.
Sect. I. PROPRIETY TY and relationengages care and follicitudein times ofdanger; we fee God hath put ſuch a ſtorge, and inclination into the very creatures, that they willexpoſe themſelves to preſerve their young; and it cannot beimaginedthat the Fountain ofpity which dropt this tenderneſsinto the bowels of the creatures, ſhould not abound with ithimſelf; is there ſuch ſtrong inclination in the very birds of theair, thatthey will hazard theirown lives to ſave theiryoung; much more isGod ſollicitous for his people, Ifa. xxxi. 5. As birdsflying,&c. to their neft when their young are indanger:
So will the Lord of Hosts defend Jerusalem. No mother is more follicitous forher dearest child indanger anddiſtreſs, than
the Lord is for his people. Iſa. xl. 15. " Can a woman forget " her fucking child,that ſheſhould not have compaffion onthe
" ſon ofher womb ? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not for40 getthee." Awoman [the more affectionate ſex] forget her child, a piece of herself, her fucking child, which together with milk from her breaſt, draws love from the heart ! This may rather be ſuppoſed,thanthat the Lord ſhould forget his people.
Two things muſt herebecleared.
1. Thatit is ſo. 2.Why itisſo.
1. That it is ſo, will appear from, 1. Scripture emblems.
2. Scripture promiſes.
3. Scripture inſtances.
1. Scripture emblems; and among many, I will, upon this occafion, ſingle outtwo or three principal ones. inEzek. v. 1, "And thouSon ofman, take thee aſharp knife, take thee a barber's razor, and cauſe itto paſs upon thing head, and upon thy beard, then take thee balances to weigh anddivide
" the hair; thou shaltburn with fire a third part in the midſt " of the city, when thedays of the ſiege are fulfilled ; and 2,3.
" thou shalt take a third part, and ſmite about itwitha knife ; " anda third part thou ſhalt ſcatterin thewind, and I will draw
" outa fword after them: thou shalt alſo take thereof a few in number, andbind them inthy ſkirts." You find this truth
The Righteous Man's Refuge. ſhadowed out inthis excellent emblem; Jerufalem,the capital city, is the head ; the numerous inhabitants are the hair; the king of Babylon the razor ; the weighing it in balances is the exactness ofGod's procedure injudgment with them , the fire, knife, and wind, are the variousjudgments to which the people were appointed; the hiding of a few in the prophet's ſkirt, is the care ofGod for the preſervation ofhis own remnant in the common calamity.
This is one emblem clearing this point. And then Ezek. ix. 3, 4. the ſame truth is preſented tous in another emblem, as lively and ſignificant as the former.
" And behold, fix mencame fromthe way ofthe highergate, " which lieth toward the north, and everyman aflaughter- " weapon in his hand, andone amongthem was cloathed in li- " nen, with a writer's inkhorn by his ſide, and they went in,
" and ſtood before the brazen altar; and the glory of the " God of Ifrael was gone up from the cherub, whereupon he
" was to the threshold of the houſe, and he called to the man " cloathed in linen, which had the writer's inkhorn by his ſide ;
" and the Lord ſaid unto him, Go through the midst of the " city, through the midst ofJerufalem, and ſet amark upon " the foreheads ofthemen that ſigh, and cry for all the abomi- " nations that be done in the midſt thereof."
The men that hadthe charge of the city are the angels appointed for that fervice; ſome with flaughter-weapons, whoſe work it was todeſtroy; but one among them had a writer's inkhorn by his ſide, andhewas employed to take the names, and mark the perſons ofGod's faithful ones among them, whom the Lord intended to preſerve and hide in that common overthrow and defolation of thecity, and theſe were to be all marked, man by man, before the destroying angel was tobegin his bloody work.
Oh ! ſeethe tender care ofGod over his upright mourning ſervants !
Once more, the ſame truth is repreſented in a third emblem, Mal . iii. 17. "And they ſhallbe mine,faith the Lord, in theday
" that I make up my jewels, and I will ſpare them as a man ſpareth his own ſon that ſerveth him:" wheretheworld is compared to an houſe on fire; God to the maſter and fatherof the family, the wicked to thetuſeleſs lumber therein; the faints to the children and jewels in the houſe; about theſe his firſt and principal care of preſervation is exerciſed, theſe he will be ſure to ſave, whatever become of the reſt.
Thus you havethechofen emblems that illuſtrate this comfort. able truth.
2. As theſe ſcripture-emblems illuſtrate it, ſo there asmany excellent fcripture-promiſes to confirm it, Ifa. xxxii. 2. "А
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
**manſhallbe for an hiding-place fromthewind, and a covert "from the tempeſt: as rivers of water in a dry place." This manis the man Chriſt Jeſus ; the tempeſts ſpokenof, are the miſeries and calamities of war, which make the land on which it falls, an hot, dry, and weary land ; inthe midſt and rage whereof, Chriſt ſhall be tohis faithful ones a covert for protection, a river of water for fupply, and a shadow for refreshment; that is to ſay, whatsoever ſhall be neceſſary either for their ſafety or comfort.
Chriſt is not onlya ſhadow to his people from the wrath ofGod, but alſo from the rage of men.
Again, Zech. ii. 5. " I will be a wall of fire round about : " alludingto travellers in thedeſart, who, topreventdanger from wild beafts in the night, uſe tomake a circular fire round about the place where they ly down to reſt, and this fire was as a wall to ſecure them.
You have the like gracious promiſe alſo madeto thepoor captivated church, in Ezek. xi. 16. " Although
" I have caſt them far off among theHeathen, and ſcattered " them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little
"ſanctuary inthe countries where they ſhall come."
Alittle fanctuary.
The word is variouſly rendered and expounded; ſome adverbially, and render it paulisper, a fanctuary for a little while, viz. during their danger, at the ſhortness ofwhichthis adverb points : ſoJunius.
Others adjective- -ly, as we tranſlate it, templum paucorum, as Vatablus.
There - was butan handful of them, andGod would be as a fanctuary toſecure and protect that remnant.
3.And all theſe promiſes have inallagesbeen faithfully fulfilledtothe faints. Youhave an excellent ſcripture for this, 2
Pet. ii.4, 5, 6. whenthe flood was brought upon the old world, therewas oneNoah a righteous man in it, and forhimGod provided an ark. When Sodom was overthrown, there was one Lot in it, ajuſtman, andGod fecured him out of danger ; upon which that comfortable concluſion is built,ver. 9. " The Lord
"knows how todeliver the godly." When Jerusalem was deſtroyed, a Pella was provided as a refuge for the godly there.
Remarkable isthat place to this purpoſe, Ifa. xxv. 4. " Thou " haſt been a ſtrength tothe poor, a ſtrength to the needy in " his diſtreſs, arefuge from the ſtorm, aſhadow fromthe heat,
" when the blaſt of the terrible one is as a ſtorm against the " wall." Andthis hathGodbeen not only once or twice, but in all ages, Pfal. xc. 1. " Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place
*טעימ VOL. IV.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" inall generations; " or as the Hebrew, in generations and generations.
What he hath been informer generations to his diftreffed people, thathe is, and will be without alteration in allgenerations.
Section II. Yetwe must remember, that allwho are preferved incommon calamities, are not the people ofGod; nor are all that are indeed his people preſerved: hehath people enoughto divide into two ranks, as the husbandman his corn, ſome for the mill, and ſome to reſerve for feed. There be ſtars enough in theheavento thine inboth hemispheres, and there are faints enough intheworld,ſome toſhine inheaven, and ſome topreferve the church on earth .
1. All that are preſerved are notthe people ofGod.
Inthe ark awickedHam was preſerved, andthoſe thatwere preſerved in Egypt, many ofthem were afterwards deſtroyed for their unbelief, Jude 5.
So Ezekiel's viſion, a part even of thoſe hairswhichwere ſpared were afterwards caſt into the fire, Ezek. v. 4.
Prefervation from the dominion of fin, and the wrath to come, is peculiar toGod's ownpeople; but as for temporal deliverances, we cannot infer that conclufion.
2. Noryet canwe saythat allGod's people ſhallbe preſerved; thatpromife, Zeph. ii. 3. leaves itupon a may-be; many a precious Chriſtian hath falien in the common calamity ; they have been preſerved in,but notfrom trouble.
But it is uſual withGod to preferve ſome inthe foreftjudgments : and the grounds of it are,
1. Becauſe ſome must be left as afeed topropagate and pres ſerve the church, which is perpetual, and can never fail ; he never fo overthrows nations as Sodom was overthrown, Ifa. i.
This was the ground of that promiſe, Jer. xXX. 11 .
** Iam with thee, faith the Lord, toſave thee, though I make " a fuil end of allnations whitherI have ſcattered thee, yet will
" I notmake a full end ofthee." And ofthat plea,Amoś vii. 2.
"For "OLordGod, forgive, Ibeſeech thee ; bywhom ſhallJacobrife?
" forhe is ſmall." Except theLordhad leftaſmall remnant,we had been as Sodom.
Remarkable to this purpoſe is that fcripture, Ifa. vi. 13. " But yet in it ſhall be atenth, and it ſhall re- " turn, and ſhall be eaten: as the teil-tree, and as an oak,
" whoſe ſubſtance is inthem when they caft their leaves ; to " theholyfeed ſhall be the ſubſtance thereof." This preferved remnant istheholy ſeed bywhich the church ispropagated and continued, Pfal. cii. 28.
2. BecauſeGod will, even in this world, own and reward the fears andforrows ofhis peopleforthe ſins ofthe times, and
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
fufferings of the church, with the joy and comfort of better times, and a participation of Sion's confolation ; ſo Ifa. lxvi.
10. Rejoice ye with ferusalem, ye that have mournedfor her.
They that have ſown intears, do ſometimes live to reap injoy, Pfal. cxxv. 6. They ſhall ſay as Ifa. xxv. 9. " Lo this is ourGod,
"we have waited for him, and he is come to ſave us."
And thoſethat livenot to reap down in this world the harvest of their own prayers and tears, ſhall be no lofers : a full and better reward ſhall be giventheminheaven, Iſa. lvii. 22.
3. Becauſe the preſerved remnantoffaints are they that muſt actually give untoGod theglory of allhis providential adminiſtrations in the world, both ofjudgments and mercies upon others, and towards themselves : "They that go down to the " pitdo not celebrate his praiſe; the living, the living, they
" praiſe him," Ifa. xxxviii. 18, 19.
Thus when God turned back Zion's captivity, the remnant of the faints that were preſerved were they that recorded his praiſe, Pfal. cxxvi. 1, 2.
" Then was our mouth filled with laughter." And fully to this ſenſe is that ſcripture, Pfal. cii. 19, 20, 21. " He delivers
" thoſe that are appointed todeath," i, e. that menhad doomedtodeath, " that they maydeclare the name of the Lord in 66 Zion, and hispraiſe in Jerufalem."
4. The hiding of the faints in the evildays is the greatest diſcovery of the hand of God in the world; when he hides them, he ſhews himself, and that both to the faints, and to their enemies.
Itisone ofthe moſt glorious mysteries of providencethat ever the world beheld, viz. the ſtrangeandwonderful protection of poor helpless Chriſtians from the rage and fury of their mighty and malicious enemies ; though they walk viſibly among them, yet they are, as it were, hid from their hands, but not from their eyes : So, Jer. i. 18.you find God made that prophet among the envious princes, and against an enraged and mightyking, asadefenced city, andas an iron pillar, and as a brazenwall. Andindeed it was easier for them toconquer and take the ſtrongest fort or garrifon, than that ſingle perſon, who yetwalked dayby daynaked among them.
So Luther, a poor monk, was made invincible, all the papal power could not touch him, forGod hid him.
All theworld against one Athanafius, andyet not able to destroyhim, forGod hid him. This is the diſplayofthe glorious power ofGod in the world, andhe hath much honourby it.
Well then, if there be aGod that takes care of his own in
The Righteous Man's Refuge. evildays; donot you be diſtractingly careful what willbecome ofyou in ſuch times ; you cannot fee how it is poſſible foryou to eſcape; but, 2 Pet. ii. 4, 5, 6. the Lord knows how to de liver whenyou do not.
Little did Lot know the wayand manner of his preſervation, tillGod opened it to him ; nor Noah, tillGod contrived it for him : there was no way to be contrived by them for eſcape : hethat knewhow to deliver them, can deliver you alfo.
Leave yourſelves to God's diſpoſe, it ſhall certainly be to your advantage; the church is his peculiar care ; Ifa. xxviii. 3.
" I the Lord do keep it, I willwater it every moment; left " any hurt it, I will keep it night and day."
The more you commit yourſelves to his care, the more you engage it, Ifa. xxvi. 3. " Thou wiltkeephim in perfect peace, whoſe mind is ſtayed on thee: becauſe he truſteth in thee."
He will certainly find aplace of fafety for his people under, or inheaven.
Neither be too much dejected when the number of viſible profeffors ſeems but ſmall; think not the church will periſh when it is brought ſo low.
This was Elijah's cafe, he thought hehadbeen left alone, that religion hadbeenpreſerved in his ſingle perfon, as the phoenix of the world ; but fee, 1Kings xix. 18.
God hath enough left, if we were all in our graves, to continue religion in the world; it concerns him more than you to look to that.
CHAP.
Evincing the fourth propoſition, viz. That God usually prems nisheth the world, especially his own people, of his judg ments before they befal them.
G Sect. I.
OD firſt warns, and thenſmites, he delights not to ſurprize men; when indignation was coming, he tells his people of it inthe text, and admoniſheth them to hide themselves. "Surely the Lord will do nothing, but he
" revealeth his ſecrets to his ſervants the prophets," Amos iii.
7. Thuswhen the floodwas to come upon theoldworld, he gavethem 120years warning of it, Gen. vi. 3.comparedwith
1Pet. iii. 19. SowhenSodomwas tobedestroyed,Godwould not hide it from Abraham ; Gen. xviii. 17. " Shall I hide from Abraham the thing that I do?" The like diſcoverywas made unto Lot, Gen. xix. 12, 13, 14. Sowhen thecaptivitywas at
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
hand, Ezekiel was commanded togive the Jews ſolemn warning of it from God, Ezek. iii. 17. "Hear the word at my
"mouth, andgivethemwarning fromme."
Andwhen their city and temple were to be deſtroyed by the Romans, how plainly did Chriſt foretel themof it by his own mouth ! Luke xix. 43, 44. " Thine enemies ſhall caſt a trench
" about thee, andcompaſs thee round, and keep thee in on "
every ſide, and lay thee even with the ground, and thy chil- " dren withinthee, and they ſhall not leave in thee one ftone upon another ; becauſe thou knoweſt not the time ofthy
" viſitation."
Joſephus * alſo tells us, that a little before the execution ofthisjudgment upon them, a voice was heard in the temple, Migremus hinc, i. e. Letusgo hence; which voice
Tacitus alſo in his annals, mentions, Audita majorhumanavox, excedereDeos, fimulingens motus excedentium.
It was more thana humanvoice, tellingthemGodwas departing from them, and withal there was heard the ruſhing noise, as of ſome that weregoingoutofthe temple.
And as there were extraordinary premonitions ofapproaching judgments, by revelation totheprophets ofold, and ſigns from heaven, ſo there ſtill are ſtanding and ordinary rules by which the world may be admoniſhed ofGod'sjudgments before they come uponthem.
And the general rule, by which men maydiſcern the indignation ofGod before itcomes, is this :
***When thefameprovocations and evils arefound in onenation, which have brought down the wrath ofGod upon another nation ; this is an evidentfign ofGod's judgment at thedoor.
ForGod is unchangeablyholy andjuſt, and will not favour that inonepeople,which he hath puniſhed in another ; nor bleſs that inone age, which he hath curſed in another.
And therefore that which hath beena ſign ofjudgment to one, must be ſoto all.
Here it is that the carcases of thoſe ſinners, whoſe ſins had caſt them away, are, as it were caſt uponthe ſcripture ſhore, for awarning to all others that they ſteer not the fame ill courſe theydid, 1 Cor. x. 9. "Now theſe things were ourexamples."
The Ifraelites are made examples to us, plainly intimating, that ifwe tread the ſame path, we must expect the fame punishment.
Letustherefore confiderwhat were the evils thatprovokedGod's judgments against his ancient people, whom he was ſo loathto
*Jofeph. de Bell. Jud, lib. vii, cap. 2. Tacit. Annai. lib. xxi,
The Righteous Man's Refuge. give up, Hof. xi. 8. and ſo long ere he didgiveup, Jer. xv.
9. andwe fhall find,by the concurrent accounts that the prophetsgive, 1. ThatGod's worſhip among them was generally mixedand corrupted with their own inventions; for ſo it is ſaid, Pfal. cvi.
40, 41. "They went a-whoring with their own inventions."
Andthis ſo inflamed the wrath ofGod,who is ajealous God, and tender over his own honour, that he abhorred his own inheritance ; yea , he expreſſes himself, as a man doth, whoſe heart is brokenby the unfaithfulness of his wife, Ezek. vi. 9.
Upon this account his profeſſing people became the generation ofhis wrath, Jer. vii. 29, 30.
2. Incorrigiole obſtinacy under gentler correction, Amos iv, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 , 12. Scarcity, mildews, peſtilence, and ſword, hadbeenuponthem; and ſtillthoſe that remained, though ſavedas abrandoutofthe fire, in which their fellow-finners perithed, would not return toGod; and this haſtened on thegeneral ruin, ver. 12.
This preſages theruin ofnations indeed.
3. Stupidityandſenſeleſſneſs ofGod's hand was a fad omen, and cauſe ofthat peoples ruin; ſo Ifa. xxvi. 10, 11. "Lord,
" when thy hand is lifted up, they willnot ſee." No nor yet whenhis hand is laid on, Ifa. xlii. 24, 25.
It is not fome ſmall drop of God's anger, that paſſes without obſervation, but the fury ofhis anger; notsome lightskirmish ofhisjudgments with : them, but thestrength ofbattle : not in a corner upon fome particular perſon, or family, butthat which ſet him on fire round about; yet all this could not awaken them. "He hath pour- " ed upon him the furyofhis anger, and the ſtrength ofbattle,
" and it hath ſethim on fire round about, yet he knew it not, " and it burned him,yet he laid it notto heart."
Prodigious ſtupidity ! tobe in the midſt of flames, yea, tobe ſeizedby them, anddestroyed foonerthan awakened. Soyou find again inHof. vii. 9. "Gray hairs were here and there upon Ephraim, yet he
" knew it not."
Youth and age are easily distinguiſhed, and gray hairs do plainlydistinguiſh them, beingthe plain tokens of adeclining ſtate, yet they took no notice ofthem.
Such ſtupidity is evermore the forerunnerofmiſery.
4. Perfecution of God's faithful miniſters and people, was another forerunning ſign oftheir ruin, 2 Chron. xxxvi. 16.
" They mocked the meſſengers ofGod, anddeſpiſed his words, " andmiſuſed his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord aroſe
" against his people, till there was no remedy."
There were alſo a number ofupright fouls among them, that defired to worshipGodaccording to hisown preſcription, but aſnare was
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
laidforthem in Mizpah, and a net ſpread upon Tabor; and thereforewas judgment towards thatpeople, Hof. v. 1. Mizpah andTabor were places intheway lying betwixt Samaria and Jerufalem, where the true worſhip ofGodwas, and there was informers or ſpies ſet by the priests to intercept fuch as would venture to ferveGod at Jerufalem, according to his ownpreſcription; this alſo foreboded thejudgments ofGoduponthat nation.
5.The decayofthe life and power ofgodliness amongthem, plainly foreſhewedtheir ruinathand, Hof. iv. 18. Their drink isfour, where, under themetaphor ofdead and four drink, which hath loft its ſpirit, and is become flat; their formal, heartleſs, and perfunctory duties are feverely taxed and condemned.
6. To conclude, the mutual animoſities, and feuds, among that profeffing people, evidently thewedjudgment to be at the door. Hof. ix. 7. " The days ofviſitation arecome, thedaysof
" recompenfe are come, Ifrael ſhall know it; the prophet is a " fool, the ſpiritualman is mad, for the multitude ofthine ini- " quity; and the great hatred."
This great hatredwas one of thegreateſt ſins, and ſaddeſt ſigns upon them.
This ſpirit of enmityſowedby thedevilamong them,haſtened their calamity.
IfEphraim will envyJudah, and Judah vex Ephraim, the commonenemy ſhallpart the fray: when the whole nation was underwater, andthe Roman armies under the very walls of Jerufalem, their own hiftorians tellus, what bitter contentions and ſharpconflicts continued among them to the very laſt, theſe things must be looked upon by all wife and confiderate men, no otherwise thanwe lookuponglaringmeteors, andblazingcomets portending judgment and ruin at the door. We havehadindeed terrible ſigns inheaven,adreadful rod ofGod ſhaken over us oflate, whichall men ought to behold with trembling ; yet I muſt ſay thoſe moral ſigns ofjudgments forementioned, are much more terrible and portentous.
According therefore to theevidenceoftheſe ſigns among us, let all upright hearts be affected and awakened withexpectations ofGod'srighteous judgments.
Itis indeedbelow faith to expect evil days withdeſpondencyand distraction; but furely it is a noble exercife offaith, ſo to expect them, as to make due preparation for them.
Section. 2. And if we enquire for what endGodgives ſuch warningtothe world,and premoniſhes themfromheaven ofthe judgments that are coming on the earth, know thathe doth ituponathreefold account.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
1. To prevent their execution .
2. To leave the careleſs inexcuſable.
3. Tomake them more tolerable and easy tohisownpeople.
1. Warning is given with adeſign to prevent the execution ofjudgments ; this isplainfromAmosiv. 12. " Thereforewill I "dothis untothee;" there is warning given ; "andbecauſe I " will do this, prepare tomeet thyGod,O Iſrael :" there is the graciousdeſignofpreventingit,bybringing them ſeaſonablyupon theirknees at the foot ofanangryGod: you feethe Lord expects it from all his children, thatthey fall athis feet indeep humiliation, and fervent interceſſion, whenever he goes forth in the way ofjudgment.
What else was the deſign ofGod in ſending Jonah to Nineveh with that dreadful meſſage, but to excite them to repentance, and prevent their ruin ? This Jonah gueffed at, and therefore declined the meſſage, to ſecure his credit, wellknowing, that if theytook warningand repented, the graci-
ous nature ofGod would foon melt intocompaſſionover them: free grace would make him appear as a liar among thepeople; for to that ſenſe his own words ſound, Jonah iv. 2. "Was not " this my ſaying, when I was yet in my country, Therefore I " fled before unto Tarſhiſh, for I knew that thou art 2 gracious
"God." q. d. I thought before-hand itwould come to this ; I knew how willing thou art to be prevented by repentance ; therefore to ſecure my credit, I fled to Tarſhish.
2. He forewarns ofjudgments to leave the incorrigiblewholly inexcuſable, that those who have neither ſenſe offin, nor fear ofjudgment before, might havenocloak for their folly, nor plea for themselves afterward ; " What wilt thou ſaywhen he ſhall
" puniſh thee ?" Jer. xiii . 21, 22. q. d. What plea or apology isleft thee, after ſo manyfairwarnings ? You cannotſayyouwere furprized before you were admoniſhed, or ruined before you were warned .
3. God warnsofjudgments beforetheycome,to make them themore eaſy to his people when they come indeed; thus ia
John xvi . 4. Chriſt foretold his diſciples of their approaching ſufferings, that when they come,they ſhould not be found amazed at them, or unprovided for them; for unexpected miſeries are aſtoniſhing to the beſt men, anddeſtructive to wicked men, Luke xvii. 26, 27, 28.
Well then, if itbe ſo, let all that are wife in heart confider the ſigns of the times, and ſeaſonably hearken toGod's warnings. " The Lord's voice crieth to the city, andthe man of " wisdom ſhall ſeek thyname; hearye the rod, andwho hath
" appointed it," Mic. vi. 9.
It is ourwisdom toway-lay our
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
troubles, andprovide for the worſt eſtate, whilſt we enjoy the beſt: happy is he thatis at once believing and praying forgood days, and preparing forthe worſt.
Noah's example is our advantage, Heb.xi. 7. "Who, byfaith beingwarned of God, of "things not seenas yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark."
Preventingmercies are the moſt raviſhing mercies, Pfal. lix. 10.
Andpreventing calamities arethe forefſt calamities, Amos ix. 10.
And letus heartily bewail the ſupineneſs and careleſſueſs of the world in whichwe live, who takeno notice ofGod's warnings, butput the evil day far from them, Amos vi. 3. who will admit no fear, till they are paſt all hope; they feeGod houſing his faints apace, yet willnot fee the evil tocome from which Godtakes them, Ifa. lvii. 1, 2. " The righteous periſheth, and " noman layeth it to heart; and merciful men are taken away,
" none conſidering that the righteous is taken away from the " evilto come. He ſhall enter into peace, they ſhall reſt in " theirbeds, each onewalking in his uprightness." They hear the cry of fin which is gone up to heaven, but cry not for the abominations that are committed, nor tremble at thejudgments that they will procure.
Ocareleſs ſinners, drowned in ſtupidity, and leeping like Jonah, under the hatches, when others are upon their knees and at their wits-end ! Doſaints tremble, andareyou ſecure ? Have not you more reaſon to be afraid than they; if judgments come, the greatest harm it cando them, is but to haſten them to heaven; but as for you, it may hurry you away to hell : theyonly fear tribulation in the way ; but you will not fear damnation in the end.
Believe it, reader, indays of common calamityboth heaven and hell will fill apace.
CHAP.
VI.
Demonstrating thefifth propoſition, viz. That God's attributes, promises, andprovidences, arepreparedfor thesecurity ofhis people, in the greatest diſtreſſes that can befal them in the world.
Sect. I. HAVING AVING more brieflydiſpatchedthe foregoing preliminary propoſitions, it remains that we now more fully open this fifth propoſition, which contains the main fubject-matter of this diſcourſe ; here therefore our meditations muſt fix and abide, and truly ſuch is the deliciouſneſs of the ſubject to ſpiritual hearts, that I judge itwholly needleſs to VOL. IV.
The Righteous Man's Refuge. offer any other motive beſides itſelf to engage your affections.
Let us therefore view our chambers, and ſee how wellGod hath provided for his children in all the diſtreſſes that befal them in this world; it is our Father's voice that calls tous, Come, my people, enter thou into thy chambers. Andthe
1. Chamber which comes tobeopened as a refuge to diſtreffed believers in a ſtormy day, is that moſt ſecure and fafe attribute of Divine Power: into this let us firſt enterby ſerious and believing meditation, and ſee how fafe they are whomGod hides under the protection thereof, in the worst and moſt dangerous days.
Inopening this attribute,we shall confider it.
1. In its own nature and property.
2. With respect to the promises.
3.As it is actuated by providence in thebehalf of diſtreſſed faints.
Andthen give you acomfortable profpect of their ſafe and happy condition, who take up their lodgings by faith in this attribute of God.
1. Letus conſider the power ofGod in itself, and we shall find itrepreſentedtousin the ſcriptures, intheſe three lovely properties, viz.
2. Supreme 3.Everlafting Power.
C 1.Asan omnipotentand all-fufficientpower, which hathno bounds or limits, but the pleaſure and will of God, Dan. iv.
34, 35." Hedoth according to his will in the armies ofheaven; " andamong theinhabitants ofthe earth,andnone canſtayhis
" hand, orſay untohim, Whatdoſt thou ? " So Pfalm cxxxv. 6.
"Whatsoever the Lord pleaſed that did he, in heaven, and in : earth, inthe ſeas, and all deep places."
You ſee divine pleafure is the only rule, according to which Divine Power exerts itself in the world; we are not therefore tolimit and reſtrain it in our narrow and ſhallow thoughts, and tothink in this, or in that, the power of God mayhelp or ſecure us ; but tobelieve thathe is able todo exceeding abundantly above allthatwecan aſk or think. Thus thoſe worthies, Dan. iii. 17. by faith exalted the power ofGod above the order and common ruleof fecond caufes. " Our God whom we ferve is able todeliver us from " theburning fieryfurnace, andhe willdeliver us out ofthine
" hand, Oking."
Their faith reſting itſelf upon the omnipotent power of God, expected deliverance from it in an extraordinary way; it is true, this is no ſtanding rule for our faith ordinarilytowork by; norhavewe ground toexpect ſuch mi
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
raculous falvations, but yetwhen extraordinary difficulties prels us, andthe common ways and means ofdeliverance are ſhutup, weoughtby faith to exaltthe omnipotency ofGod, byafcribing theglory thereof tohim, and leave ourselves to his good pleafure, without ſtraiteningor narrowing hisAlmighty Fower, according to themould of our poor, low thoughts and apprehenfions of it: for ſo the Lord himself directeth our faith in difficultcafes, Ifa. Iv.8, 9." For my thoughts are notyourthoughts,
" neither are your ways my ways, faith theLord ; for as the " heavens are higher than the earth, ſo are my ways higher
" than your ways, and my thoughts thanyour thoughts." He ſpeaks there ofhis pardoning mercy, whichhewill nothave his people to contract, and limit according to the model and platform of their own deſponding, miſgiving, and unbelieving thoughts; buttoexaltandglorifyit, according toits unbounded fulneſs; as it is in the thoughts of God, the fountain of that mercy; ſoit ought to be with refpect to hispower, aboutwhich his thoughts and ours do vaſtly differ; the power ofGod as we caft itinthe mould of our thoughts, is as vaſtly different, and diſproportionate from what it is in the thoughts of Godthe fountain thereof; as the earth is to the heavens, which is but a ſmall inconfiderable point compared with them.
2. The power of God is a fupreme and fovereign power, from which all creature-power is derived, and bywhich it is over-ruled, reſtrained, and limited at his pleaſure. Nebuchadnezzar was a great monarch, he ruled over other kings, yet he held his kingdom fromGod ; it wasGod that placed not only thecrownuponhishead,but hishead upon his ſhoulders, Dan. ii. 37. " Thou, O king, art a king of kings, for theGod of " heavenhathgiven thee a kingdom, power, and ſtrength, and " glory."
Hence it follows, thatno creature canmove tongue orhand against any ofGod's people, but byvirtue of a commit fionor permiffion from their God; albeit they think not fo.
Knowest thou not, faith Pilate unto Chriſt, that Ihavepower to crucify thee, and power to release thee ?
Proud worm ! what anignorant, and inſolentboaſt was this of his own power ! and howdothChriſt ſpoil and ſhame itin his anſwer ? John xix. 10.
Thou couldest have no power at all against me, except it were given theefrom above.
Wicked men like wild horſes would run over and trample under foot all the people ofGod in the world, were it not that the bridle of divine Providence had a ſtrong curb to reGrain them: Ezek. xxii. 6. " The princes of Ifrael every one
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" were inthee, to their power to ſhed blood." And it was well for God's Iſrael that their power was not as large as their wills were ; this world is a raging and boisterous fea, which forely toffes the paſſengers forheaven that fail upon it, but this istheir comfort and ſecurity: " The Lord ſtilleth the noise of " the fea, the noiſe of the waves, and the tumult ofthe peo- " ple," Pfal. lxv. 7.
Moral, as well as natural waves, are checked and boundedby divine power.
" Surely the wrath of man ſhall praiſe thee, and the remainder of wrath thou ſhalt
" restrain," Pfal. Ixxvi. 10. As a man turns ſo much water into the channel as will drive the mill, and turns away the reſt into another Quice.
Yea, not only the power of man, but the power of devils alſo is under the reſtraint and limitation of this power, Rev.
: iii. 10. " Satan ſhall caſt ſome of you into priſon, and ye ſhall " have tribulation ten days."
He would have caſt them into their graves, yea, into hell if he could, but it mustbe only intoapriſon : Hewould have kept them in priſon, till theyhad diedand rotted there, but itmust be only for ten days. Oh glorious ſovereign power ! which thus keeps the reins ofgovern. ment in its own hand !
3.The power ofGod is an everlastingpower; time doth not weaken or diminiſh it, as itdoth all creature-powers, Ifa. xl. 28.
" The Lord, the creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not " neither is weary."
Iſa. lix. 1. " The Lord's hand is not " ſhortened," (i. e.)He hath as muchpower now as ever hehad, and can do for his people as much as everhe did ; time willdecay the power of the ſtrongest creature, and make him faint and feeble; but the Creator of the ends of the earth fainteth not,
" Thou (faith the Pfalmiſt) abideth for ever, thy years flee not,"
Pfal.cii. 27. InGod'sworking there is noexpence ofhis ſtrength, he is able todo as much for his church now, as ever he did, to act over-again all the glorious deliverances that ever he wrought for his people from thebeginning ofthe world ; todo asmuch for his church now, ashe did at theRed-ſea; andupon this ground the church builds its plea, Iſa. li. 9, 10." Awake,
" awake, put on ſtrength,O arm of the Lord, awake as in the " ancient days, as inthe generations of old, art thou not it
" that haſt cutRahab, and wounded thedragon ? " q.d. Lord, why ſhould not thy people at this day expect as glorious productions of thy power, as anyof them found informer ages ?
Sect. II. Let us view the power of God in the vaſt extent of its operations, and thenyou will find itworking beyondthe line
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
I 1. Of creature-power, 2. Of creature-expectation, 3. Of human probability.
1. Beyond the line of all created power, even upon the hearts, thoughts, and minds of men, where no creature hath anyjurisdiction.
So Gen. xxxi. 29.God bound up the ſpirit of Laban, and becalmed it towards Jacob.
So Pfal. cvi.46.
" He made them alſo tobe pitied of all them that carried them " captives."
Thus the Lord promiſed Jeremy, Jer. xv. II .
" I will cauſe the enemies to entreat thee well, in the time of " evil." This power ofGod ſoftens thehearts ofthe moſt fierce andcruel enemies, and ſweetens the ſpirits of the moſt bitter andenraged foes of his people.
2. Beyond the line of all creature-expectations, Eph. iii. 20.
"God is able todo exceeding abundantly above all thatwe can " ask or think." Hedoth ſo in ſpirituals ; as appears by thoſe twofamousparables, Lukexv. 19, 22. "And amnomoreworthy
" to be calledthy fon; make me as one of thy hired ſervants.
" But the Father ſaid to his ſervants, bring forththebeſt robe, " andput it on him, and put a ringonhis hand, and ſhoes on " his feet." The prodigal defired tobe butas an hired ſervant, and lo, the fatted calf is killedfor him, and muſic to his meat; and the gold ring upon his finger. And in Mat. xviii. 26, 27. the debtor did but defire patience, and the creditor forgave the debt. Oh, thinks a poor humbled ſinner, if I might have but the leaft glimpse of hope, how ſweet would it be! ButGod brings him to more than he expects, even the clear ſhining of afſurance.
It is ſo in temporals the church confeſſes the Lord didthings they looked notfor, Ila. lxiv. 3. Andinboth ſpirituals and temporals this power moves in an higher orb than our thoughts, Ifa. lv. 8, 9. " My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor mywaysyour ways ; but as far as theheavens are above
" the earth, fo are my thoughts above your thoughts."
The earth is but a punctum tothe heavens; all its talleſt cedars, mountains, and pyramids cannot reach it: He ſpeaks, as was ſaid before, of God's pitying, pardoning, and merciful thoughts, and ſhews that nocreature can think ofGod, as he doth ofthe creature under fin, or under miſery, ourthoughts are nothisthoughts ; either firſtbyway of ſimple cogitationwecannotthink ſuchthoughts towards others in miſery, by wayofpity; orunder fin againſt us bywayof pardon, asGod doth: Nor ſecondly, are our thoughts as God's in reſpect ofreflexive com prehenfion; i. e. We cannot conceive or comprehend what thoſe thoughts ofGod towardsus are; whenwefall into finor
The Righteous Man's Refuger miſery, juſt as he thinksthem, they are altered, debaſed, and ſtraitened as foon as evertheycome into ourthoughts.
Seean excellent inſtance inGen.xlviii. 11. " I had not thought tofee " thy face, and lo,Godhath ſhewed me alſo thy feed." Afurprizing providence; and thus thedivine power works in a ſphere above all the thoughts, prayers, and expectations ofmen.
3. It worksbeyond all probabilities, and rational conjectures ofmen; this Almighty power hath created deliverances for the people ofGod, when things have been brought to the lowest ebb, and all themeans of falvation have beenhid from their eyes.
We havedivers famous inſtances of this in ſcripture, whereinwe may obſerve a remarkable gradation in the work ing of this Almighty power :
'Tis faid, in 2 Kings xv. 26, 27. " The Lord ſaw the affliction of Ifrael, that it was very
" bitter, for there was not any ſhut up, or any left, nor any "helper for Ifrael." A deplorable ſtate ! How inevitablewas their ruin to the eye of ſenſe ? Wellmight it be called a bitter affliction; yet fromthisimmediatepower aroſe for them a ſweer and unexpected falvation: And, ifwe look into 2 Cor. i. 9, 10. we ſhall find the apostles and choiceft Chriſtians ofthoſe times, giving up themselves as loſt men ; all ways of eſcaping being quite out of fight, for ſo much thoſe words ſignify, We badthe
Jentence of death in ourselves ; i. e. We yielded ourſelves for dead men.
But though they were fentenced to death, yea, though they fentenced themſelves, this power, which wrought above all their thoughts, and rational conjectures, reprived them. And yet one ſtep farther, in Ezek, xxxvii. 4, 5, 6, 7.
The people of God are there repreſented as actually dead, yea, as in their graves, yea, as rotted in their graves, and their very bones dry, like thoſe that are dead of old; fo utterly improbable was their recovery: Yet by the work. ing of this Almighty power, which ſubdueth all things to itſelf, their graves in Babylon were opened, the breath of life came into them, bone came to bone, and there ſtood up a very great army; it was the working of his power above the thoughts of man's heart, which gave the ground of that famous proverb, Gen. xxii. 14.
In the mount of the Lord it " ſhall be ſeen." And the ground of that famous promife,
Zech. xiv. 7." At evening time it ſhallbe light;" i. e. Light
ſhall unexpectedly ſpring up, when all men according to the courſe and order of nature, expect nothing but increaſing darkness. How extenſive is the power ofGod in its glorious operations !
Sect. III. Let us view the power ofGod in its relation to
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
the promises, for ſo it becomes our fanctuary in the day of trouble; if the power of Godbe the chamber, it is the promife of Godwhich is that golden key that opens it. And if wewillconfult the ſcriptures in this matter, we shall findthe
Almighty power of God made over to his people by promiſe, formany excellent ends and uſes inthedayoftheir trouble As,
1. To uphold and ſupport them, when their own ſtrength fails, Ifa.xli. 10. " Fear thou not, for I am with thee, be not " diſmayed, for I am thyGod: I will ſtrengthen thee, yea, I "will help thee, yea, I will uphold thee, with the right-hand
" of my righteouſneſs." And which of the faints have not ſenſiblyfelt theſe everlastingarms underneath their ſpirits, when afflictions have preſſed them above their own ſtrength! So runs the promise to Paul in 2 Cor. xii. 9. " My grace is
" ſufficient for thee, for my ſtrength is made perfect in weak.
" neſs;" i. e. It is made known inthy weakness. Our weakneſs addsnothing toGod's power, itdoth not make his power perfect, but it hath the better advantage of its diſcovery, and puts forthitſelfmore ſignally andconfpicuously in ourweakness ; as the ſtars which never ſhine ſo gloriously, as in the darkeſt night.
2. To preſerve them in all their dangers, towhich they lie expoſed infoul andbody, 1 Pet. i. 5. " You are kept (faith the " apoſtle) by the mighty power ofGod."
Kept as in a garrifon; this is theirarm every nmorning, as it is Ifa. xxxiii. 2. "
" Lord be graciousunto us, we have waited for thee, be thou " their arm every morning, our ſalvation alſo inthe time of " trouble."
The arm is that member which is fitted for the defence ofthe body, and for that endſo placed by theGod of nature, that it mayguard every part above and below it; but asgood theywere bound behind our backs, for any help they cangiveus in ſome cafes : It isGod's arm thatdefends us and notour own.
This inviſible power ofGod makes the faints the world's wonder. Pfal.lxxi. 7. " I am as a wonder to many, but " thou art my strong refuge." To fee the poor defenceleſs creatures preſerved in the midst offurious enemies, that isjuſt matter of wonder; butGod being their inviſible refuge that folves the wonder ; to this end thepower ofGod is bypromiſe engaged tohis people, Ifa. xxvii. 3. " I the Lord do keepit, I "will water it every moment, leſt any hurt it, I will keep it,
" night andday."
And thus they ſubſiſt inthe midst ofdangers and troubles; as the burning bush (the emblem of the church) did amidst thedevouring flames, Exod. iii. 3.
3. To deliver them out oftheir diſtreſſes, ſoruns the pro-
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
"miſe, Pfal. xci . 14, 15. " Because hehath ſet his loveuponme, therefore will I deliver him ; I will ſet him on high, becauſe
" he hath known my name; he ſhall call upon me, and I will " anſwer him, I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him
*" and honour him."
And Jer. xxx. 7. "Alas for that day is 166 great, ſo that none is like it : It is even the time of Jacob's
" trouble, butye ſhall be ſavedout ofit." And ſurely there canbe nodiſtreſs ſo great, no caſe ofbelievers ſo forlon ; but,
1. It is eaſywithGod toſave them out of it.
Are they to the eye of ſenſe loſt, as hopeless as men in the grave ? Yet ſee Ezek. xxxvii. 12. " O my people, I will open your graves, and " cauſeyou to come out ofyourgraves, and bringyou into the " landof Ifrael."
And hedoth whatever hedoth eafily, with aword, Pfal . xliv. 4. " Thou artmy king, OGod, command
*" deliverances for Jacob."
And it requireth no more violent motion todo it, than he that ſwimmeth inthe water uſes, Iſa.
XXV. 11. Agentleeaſymotionof thehanddoth it.
2. And as the powerofGodcandeliver themeaſily, ſo ſpeedily.
Their deliverance is often wrought by way of ſurprizal.
Iſa. xvii. 14. " Behold, at evening-tide trouble, and in the 66 morning he is not." Sothe church prays, in Pfal. cxxxvi. 14.
" Turn again our captivity, as the ſtreams in thefouth."
The foutherncountries are dry, the ſtreams therecomenot in a gentle and low current, but being occafionedby violentfuddenſpouts ofrain, they preſently overflow the country, and as foonretire: So ſpeedily can the power ofGod free his people from theirdangers and fears.
3. Yea, ſuch is the excellency ofhis delivering power, that hecanfave alone, without anycontribution ofcreature-aids. So Ifa. lix. 16. " He wondered that there was nointerceffor; there- " forehis hand brought ſalvation untohim, and his righteouf- " neſs ſuſtained him." We read indeed Judg. v. 23. of helping the Lord, but that is not to expreſs his need, but their duty; we have continual need ofGod, but he hathno need of us: he uſes inftruments, but not out ofneceſſity, his arm alone can ſave us, be the danger never ſo great, or the viſible means ofdeliverance never ſo remote.
4. Once more let us view this chamber of divine power, as it is continually opened by the hand of providence, to receive andfecure the people ofGod inall their dangers.
It is faid, 2 Chron. xvi . 9. "The eyesof the Lordrun toandfro throughout "" thewhole earth, toſhew himself ſtrong in thebehalfofthem
" whoſe heart is perfect towards him."
Where you have an excellentaccountofthe immediacy, univerfality, andefficacyof
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
Divine Providence, as it uſes and applies this Divine power for theguard anddefence of that people, who are its charge; he dothnot only ſet angels to watch for them, but his own eyes guardthem,even thoſe ſeven eyes ofprovidence mentioned, Zech. iii. 9. which neverfleep norſlumber; for they are ſaid torun continually to and fre, and that not in this or that particular place only, for the ſervice offome more eminent and excellent perfons; butthrough the whole earth.
It is an encompaſſing and furrounding providence which hath its eye upon all whote hearts are upright ; all the ſaints are within the line of its care and protection ; the eye of providence diſcovereth all theirdangers, and its arm defends them, for he ſhews himself ſtrong in theirbehalf.
The fecret, but the almighty efficacy of providence is alſo excellently defcribed to us in Ezek . i. 8. where the angels are faid to have their hands under their wings, working ſecretly and undifcernibly,but veryeffectually for thefaintscommittedtotheir charge.
Like unto which is thatinHab. iii. 4. where it is faid ofGod, that " hehad horns coming out ofhis hands, and there
" was the hiding of his power."
The hand is the inſtrument ofaction, denoting God's active power, and thehorns coming out ofthem arethe glorious rays and beams of that power ſhining forth in the falvation of his people.
O that we could fun ourſelves in thoſe clearful and revivingbeams ofdivinepower, by confidering how gloriously they have broken forth, and ſhone out for the falvation ofhis people in all ages. So it did for Iſrael at the red-ſea, Exod. xv. 6.
So for Johoſhaphat in that great ſtrait, 2 Chron. xx. 12, 15. And ſo in the time of Hezekiah, 2 Kings xix. 3, 7.
Yea, in all ages fromthe beginning oftheworldthe faintshavebeen ſheltered under theſe wings of Divine power, Ifa. li . 9, 10.
Thus providence hath hanged and adorned this chamber of Divine Power with the delightful hiſtories of the church's manifold preſervations by it.
Section IV. Havingtaken aſhort viewofthis glorious chamber ofGod's power, abſolutely in itſelf, and alſoin relation tohis promiſes and providences, it remains now, that I preſs and perfuade all the people ofGod, under their fears and dangers, according toGod's gracious invitation, to enter into it, ſhut their doors, and tobehold with delight this glorious attribute working forthem in all their exigencies and diſtreſſes .
1. Enter into this chamber ofdivine power, all ye that fear the Lord, and hide yourſelves there inthoſedangerous anddiſtreſsfuldays; let me ſay toyou as the prophet did tothe poor
VOL. IV.
The Righteous Man's Refuge. dittreffedJews, Zech. ix. 12. " Turnye toyour ſtronghold, ye prisoners ofhope." Strongholds mighttheyſay ; why,where arethey?
The walls ofJerusalem are in the duſt, the temple burnt with fire, Sion an heap, what meaneſt thou in tellingus of our ſtrong holds ? Why, admit all this, yet there is fatis praefidii in uno Deo, refuge enough for you in God alone, as Calvin excellentlynotes upon that place.
Chriſtian, art not thou able to fetch a good ſubſiſtence for thy soul by faith, out of the almighty power ofGod ? The renownedfaints ofold didfo.
Abraham, Ifaac, andJacob met with as many difficulties andplunges of trouble in their time, as everyou did, or ſhall meet with ; yet, by the exerciſe of their faith upon this attribute, they lived comfortably, andwhy cannot you ? Exod. vi. 3.
I appeared (faithGod) unto Abraham, Ifaac, and Ja- " cob, bythe nameofGodAlmighty."
They kept houſe, and feaſted by faith upon this name of mine ; O that we coulddo as Abraham did, Rom. iv. 21. We have the fame attribute, but, alas, we have not fuch a faith as his was, to improve it.
It is eaſy to believe the almighty power ofGod in a calm, but " notſo easy to reſign ourſelves to it, and ſecurely reſt upon it in a ſtorm ofadverſity; butoh whatpeace and reſtwouldour faith procure usby the free uſe and exercise of it this way ! to affilt your faithin this difficulty whereinwe findthe faith ofa Moles fometimes taggered, let me briefly offer you theſe four following encouragements.
1. Confider how your gracious God hath engaged this his almighty power, by promife and covenant for the ſecurity of his people. God pawnedit, as it were, to Abraham, in that famous promife, Gen. xvii. 1. " Iam the almightyGod, walk thou before me, andbe thou perfect." AndGen. xv. 1. " Fear not,Abraham, I am thy shield." Saynot, thiswas Abraham's peculiar privilege, for ifthou conſult Hof. xii. 4. andHeb. xiii.
5, 6. you will find that believers in theſe days have as gooda title tothepromiſes made inthoſe days, as thoſe worthies had to whom they were immediatelymade.
2. If you be believers, your relation toGod ſtrongly enga gethhis power for you, as well as his own promiſes, " Surely,
(faithGod) they are my people, children thatwill not lie; fo " he became their Saviour," Ifa. Ixiii. 8. We ſay relations havethe leaft ofentity, but the greatest efficacy ; you find it fo inyourown experience, leta wife child, or friendbe in imminent danger, and it ſhall engage all the power you have to fuccour anddeliver them .
3. This glorious power ofGod is engaged for you by the
The Righteous Man's Refuge,
very malice and wickedness ofyour enemies, who will be apt toimpute the ruin of the faints, to the defect of power in God; from whence thoſe excellent arguments are drawn, Num. xiv. 15, 16. " Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man,
" then the nations whichhaveheardthe fameofthee, will speak, "ſaying,Becauſe the Lordwasnot able tobring this people into " the land which he ſware unto them, therefore he hath flain
" them in thewilderness." And again,Deut. xxxii. 26, 27. you willfind theLord improving this argumentfor them himſelf; if theydo not plead it for themselves, he will. " I would scatter
" them into corners,I wouldmake the remembrance of them " toceaſe from among men,were itnot that I feared the wrath
" of the enemy, left their adverſaries ſhould behave them- " ſelves ſtrangely, and left they ſhould ſay, Our hand is high,
" and the Lord hath not done all this " O ſee how much you arebeholden to the very rage ofyour enemies,for yourdeliverances from them !
4. To conclude, the veryreliance ofyour soulsby faith upon the power of God, your very leaninguponhis arm engages it for your protection, Ifa. xxvi. 3. " Thou wilt keep him in " perfect peace, whoſe mind is ſtayedon thee, becauſe he trust- " eth in thee."
Puzzle not yourſelves therefore any longer about qualifications; butknowthattheveryactingofyour faith onGod, the recumbency ofyour fouls upon him, is thatwhich will engage him for your defence, howweak and defective ſoever thou art in other reſpects.
2.Havingthus enteredby faith into this chamber of divine power, the next counſel the text gives you, is, to ſhut the door behind you, i. e. after the acting of your faith, and the quiet repoſe of your fouls uponGod's almighty power ; thea takeheed left unbelieving fears and jealouſies creep in again, anddisturb the reſt of your fouls inGod; you find a fad inſtance of this in Mofes, Numb. xi. 21, 23. After ſo many glorious acts and triumphs ofhis faith, howwere his heels tripped up by diffidence which crept in afterwards ! Good men may be poſed with difficult providences, and made to ſtagger. The Ifraelites had lived upon miracles many years, yet Pfal. Ixxviii. 20. " Can he give bread alſo ? "
Good Martha objects difficulty toChriſt, John xi 39. " By this time he link- " eth." Oh! it is a glorious thing togiveGod the glory ofhis almighty power in difficult caſes thatwe cannot comprehend.
See Zech. viii. 6. " If it be marvellous in the eyes of the rem- "nant of this people in theſe days, ſhould it be as mar-
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" vellous in mine eyes ? faith the Lord of hoſts."
Diffi culties are for men, but not for God: becauſe it is marvellous in your eyes, muſt it be ſo in God's! Various objections will be apt to ariſe inyour hearts to drive you out of this your refuge.
As, Object. 1. Oh ! but the longcontinuance ofour troubles and diſtreſſes will fink our very hearts, Ifa. xl. 27. "Why fayeft
" thou , O Jacob, and ſpeakeſt, O Ifrael, my way is hid from " the Lord, and myjudgment is paſſed over from myGod."
Sol. But, oh ! wait upon God without fainting, Heb. ii. 3.
" The viſion is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it " ſhall ſpeak and not lie: though ittarry, wait for it, becauſe
" itwill furely come, it will not tarry."
Object. 2. Oh, but our former hopes and expectations of deJiverance are fruftrated, Jer viii. 15. " We looked for peace,
" but no good came: and for a time of health, and behold " trouble."
Sol.
Oh, but yet be notdiſcouraged ſee how the Pfalmiſt begins the lxixth pſalm with trembling, and ends it with triumph; the husbandman waiteth, and ſo muſt you.
Object. 3.
But there is no ſignor appearance of our deliverance.
Sol.
What then, this is nonewthing, Pfal. lxxiv. 9. " We " ſee not our ſigns, there is no more any prophet, neither is
" there any among us thatknoweth how long."
Object. 4.
But all things work contrary to our hope.
Sol. Why, ſo did things with Abraham ; yet ſee, Rom. iv.
18. " Againft hope, he believed in hope."
3. Obſerve further withdelight, the outgoings and glorious workings of divine Power for you, and for the church in times oftrouble ; this is ſweet entertainment for your fouls, it is food for faith, Pfal. lxxiv. 14. " Thou brakeſt the heads of Leviathan
" in pieces, and gaveſt him to be meat to the people inhabit- " ing the wilderness." And here I beſeech you behold and admire, 1. Its myſterious andadmirable protection of the faints in all their dangers.
They feed as sheep in the midst of wolves, Luke x. 3.
They lie among them that are ſet on fire, Plal.
Ivii. 4. " Their habitation is inthe midst of deceit," Jer. ix. 6.
Yet they are kept in fafetyby the mighty power ofGod.
2. Behold and admire it in cafting the bonds of restraint uponyourenemies, that though they would, yet they cannothurt you ; our dangers are viſible, and our fears great, but our ſecurityandſafety admirable, Ifa. li. 13. " Thou hast fearedcon
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" tinually everyday, becauſe of the fury of the oppreffor, as " if he were ready to deſtroy ; and where is the fury of the "oppreffor?
3. Behold its openingunexpected and unlikelyrefuges and ſecurities for the faints, in their diſtreſſes; Ifa. xvi . 4. " Let
"mine outcafts dwell with thee, Moab, be thou a covert to " them from the face of the ſpoiler; for the extortioner is at an " end, the ſpoiler ceaſeth, the oppreffors are confumed out of " the land."
Rev. xii. 16. " The earth helped the woman, " andthe earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood
" which thedragon caſt out of his mouth."
4.Behold it fruftrating all the deſigns ofourenemies against us, Iſa. liv. 17. " No weapon that is formed against thee ſhall
" proſper, and every tongue that ſhall riſe against thee injudgment thou shalt condemn. Behold, I have created the ſmith,"
Ifa. liv. 16. q. d. He that created the ſmith, can order, as he pleaſeth, the weapon madebyhim ; hence our enemies are not maſters of their own deſigns.
Oh thendepend upon this power ofGod, for it is your fecurity; there isa twofold dependence, the one natural andneceſſary, the other elective.
1. Natural dependence, ſo all do, and muſt depend upon him.
2. Elective and voluntary, and ſo weallought todepend upon him; and for your encouragement take this fcripture, Pfal. ix. 9, 10. " The Lord alſo will be a refuge for the oppreſſed,
66 arefuge in times of trouble, and they that know thy name " will put their trust in thee, for thou, Lord, haft not forſaken
" them that ſeek thee."
And thus of the firſt attribute of God, prepared for the fafety of his people in times of trouble.
CHAP.
VII.
Opening that glorious attribute of Divine Wisdom, as asecond
chamber of security to the faints in difficult times.
Sect. I.T HE next chamber of divine protection, into which I shall lead you, is the infinite wisdom of God; I call it the next, becauſe I ſo find it placed in fcripture,
Job xxxvi. 5. "He is mighty in power and wisdom." Dan. ⅱ. 20. " Wisdom andmight are his."
This attribute may be fitly called the council-chamber of
The Righteous Man's Refuge. heaven, where all things are contrivedinthe deepest wiſdom, which are afterwards wroughtin the world by power, Eph. i. 11.
" He worketh all things after the counſel of his own will."
Counſel in the creature, implies weakness anddefect; we are not able at one thought to fathom thedepth ofa buſineſs, and therefore muſt deliberate and ſpend many thoughts about it, and when wehave ſpent all our own thoughts, we are oft-times at aloſs, and muſt borrow help, and ask counſel of others; but inGoditnotes the perfection ofhis underſtanding, for as thoſe acts of the creature which are the reſults of deliberation and countel, are the height and top of all rational contrivement ; ſo in its accommodation toGod, it notesthe excellent reſults of his infinite and moſt perfect understanding.
Now this wisdom ofGod is tobe confidered either as abſolute, or relatively.
1. Abfolutely in itſelf, andſo it is, That whereby he most perfectly and exactly knows himself, and allthings without himfelf, ordering and disposing them, in the most convenient manner, totheglory of his own name.
Widom comprehends two things, 1. Knowledge of the nature of things, which, in the creature, is called Science.
2. Knowledge how to govern, order anddiſpoſe them, which, in the creature, is called prudence; theſe things in a man are but faint ſhadows of that which is inGod, in the moſt abſolute perfection; he fullyknows himself, for his underſtanding is infinite, Pfal. cxlvii. 5. and the thoughts he thinks towardsus,
Jer. xxix. 11. And as he perfectly understands himself, fo likewifeall things that are without himself, Acts xv. 18. " Known untoGod are allhis works from thebeginningofthe world."
Together with all the fecret deſigns, thoughts, and purpoſes which lie hid from all others, inthe inmoſt receſſes of mens hearts, Pfal. cxxxix. 2.
Andasthe perfectly knows allthings, fobe fullyunderſtands how to govern and direct themto the beſt end, even the exalting of his own praiſe, Pfal. civ. 24. Rom. xi. 36. " For ofhim,
" and through him, and tohim are all things:" of him, as the efficient cauſe ; through him, as the conſerving cauſe: and to him, as the final cauſe. And in this wife difpofition of all things, he hath a gracious reſpect to the good of his chofen,
Rom. viii. 28. " All things thail work together for good to " them that love God."
More particularly, the wisdom of God is to be confidered byus, in its excellent properties, 2mongſt which, theſe four following are eminently confpicuous, asit isthe
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
1. Original, 2. Effential, 3. Perfect, and 4. Only wisdom.
1. The wisdom ofGod is the original wisdom, from which allthewisdomfoundin angels or men is derived, and into that fountainwe are directed togo, for fupplies of wiſdom, James i. 5. " If any man lackwiſdom, let him ask it ofGod."
There is indeeda ſpirit in man, but it is the inſpirationoftheAlmighty that giveth underſtanding, Job xxxii. 8.
The natural faculty is ours, but the illumination thereofis God's, the understanding. of the creature is the dial, which ſignifies nothing till the fun ſhine upon it.
2.God'swisdom is effential wisdom.
Wisdom in the creature is but a quality ſeparable from the ſubject ; but in God it is his nature, his very eſſence, he can as foon cease tobeGod, as to be moſt wife.
3. The wisdom ofGod is perfect wisdom, full ofitſelf, and excluſive of its contrary; the wiſeſt of men are not wife at all times; the greatest wits are not without ſome mixture of madness ; it is an high attainment in human wisdom tounderſtand our ownweakness and folly; the deepest heads are but ſhallows, but the wisdomofGod is an unſearchable depth,Rom. xi. 33. "O the depth of the riches, both of the wisdom and " knowledge of God! how unfearchable are his judgments,
" and his ways paſt finding out!"
4. To conclude, the wisdom ofGod is the only wisdom ; there is nowiſdom without him, none against him, he is the only wifeGod, Jude verſe 25.
2. The wisdom ofGod must be confidered relatively, and that in adouble refpect :
1. To his promiſes.
2. To his providences.
Sect. II. Let us viewitinits relation to thepromiſes, where you ſhall find it made overbyGod tohis people, for divers excellent uſes and purpoſes intimes ofdiſtreſs anddanger. As,
1. It was madeover tothem inpromiſes, for their direction and guidance when they knew not what todo, or which way to take. SoPfal . xxv. 9." The meekwillhe guide injudgment,
" and the meek willhe teach hisway ;" and Iſa. Iviii. 11. " The " Lord ſhall guide thee continually;" and Pial. xxxiii. 8.
" I will guide thee with mineeye."
And with this the Pfal. miſt encourages himself, Pfal. Ixxiii. 24. "Thou shalt guide
" me with thy counſel, and afterwards receive me to glory."
Owhat an invaluable mercy isthis ! we should make ſhipwreck both ofour temporal andeternal mercies quickly, were it not fortheguidanceofdivinewisdom.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
2.To extricatethemwhen involved in difficulties. So 2Pet. ii. 9. " The Lordknowethhow todeliver thegodly out oftemp- " tation."
They know not how, but their God doth; they are often at a loſs, but he is never.
So 1 Cor. x. 13. "There " hath no temptation takenyou, but ſuch as is common to man,
" but God is faithful,who will not fuffer you to be tempted " above that which you are able, but will with the temptation
" alſo make a way to eſcape, that ye maybe able to bear it."
3. To over-rule and order all their troubles to their good and real advantage.
So runs that mostcomprehenſive promiſe,Rom. viii . 28. " All things ſhall work together for good to them that " loveGod." In the faith whereof Paul concludes, Phil. i. 19.
Even this ſhall work for his falvation.
Thus the people of God were fent into captivity for their good, Jer. xxiv. 8. and Joſeph into Egypt, Gen. 1. 20. " Ye thought evil against me,
" but God meant itunto good, tobring to paſs as it is this " day, to ſave much people alive."
2. Let us view the wisdom of God, in its relation to his providences, for there it ſhines forth eminently, Ezek. i. 18.
Thewheels were full of eyes, i. e. the motions and providential revolutions in this lower world are very judicious and adviſedmotions ; Non caeco impetu volvuntur rotae; it hathan end and deſign which no man underſtands tillit open itſelf in the event.
The enemies of the church are oft-times men of the finest brains, and deepest policies : Herod a fox for fubtilty, Luke xiii.
32.
Julian and Ahitophel, with manyothers, who have digged asdeep as hell in their counſels, and laid their deſigns ſo fure, that theydoubted not to be maſters ofit ; yet their hands could not perform their enterprize.
The wisdom of providence hath ſtill befooled them, and baffled the cunningeſt head-pieces that ever undertook any deſign against the church, as fast as ever they aroſe; and here the wisdom of providence is remarkable in three things eſpecially.
1. In revealing and discovering the ſecret conſpiracies and counſels ofthe church's enemies, and thereby frustrating their deſigns, Gen. xxvii. 41, 42. Providence (as one calls it) is the birdofthe air, that carries tidings, and whiſtles deeds ofdarkneſs ; Job. xii. 22. " He discoverethdeep things out ofdarkness,
" and bringeth out to light the ſhadow of death."
And this Godhathdoneboth immediatelyand mediately. 1. Immediately, 2Kings vi. 11. What counſel foever the king ofSyria took in his bed-chamber was ſtill discovered by the word tothe prophet.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
So true isthat, Job xxxiv. 22. " There is nodarkneſs nor tha- " dow ofdeath where the workers ofiniquitymayhide them- " ſelves."
Thus thedeſign ofHerod is revealed to Joſeph in a dream.
Butcommonly he doth itby means; as, 1.Bygiving knowledge of it to ſome that are under obligations ofduty or affection to reveal it to thoſe that are concerned in thedanger. So Paul's ſiſter's fon, Acts xxiii. 16. revealed the conſpiracy against his life, and ſo the plot miſcarried by revealing it before it was ripe for execution.
2.By the failure of ſome circumſtance,thewhole is brought to light ; there be many fine threads upon which the deſigns of politicians hang; ifone break, the whole deſign is unravelled.
Thus the wisdom ofGod ſometimes prevents his people's ruin, bytakingaway the ſpeech of the truſty from him, and making their owntongues to fall upon themſelves.
3.By their own confeffion, ſoPfal. lxiv. 5,6, 7, 8. where you havethe plot laid, ver. 5. " They encourage themſelves in an * evil matter, theycommuneof laying ſnares privily, they ſay,
"who ſhall fee them ?" The deep contrivance of it, ver. 6.
" They ſearch out iniquity, they accomplish a diligent ſearch, " both the inward thought ofevery one ofthem, and the heart
" isdeep."
Their plotdeſtroyed,ver. 7. " ButGod ſhall ſhoot " at them with an arrow, fuddenly ſhall they be wounded."
The method or way of providence in deſtroying it, ver. 8.
"So they ſhall make their own tongue to fall upon themselves, all " that fee them ſhall fly away."
Thus hath the wisdom ofour God wrought for us this day, beyond all the thoughts of our hearts; and oh that it might makeſuch impreſſions upon allour hearts, as follow in ver. 9, 10 "All men ſhall fear, and ſhall
" declare thework ofGod, for they ſhall wiſely confiderhisdoing.
" The righteous thallbe glad in the Lord, and ſhall truſt in "him, and all the upright in heart ſhall glory."
2. The wisdom ofGod diſcovers itſelfin behalf of that peoplewho are his own, in diverting thedanger from them, and puttingby thedeadly thruſts their enemies make atthem; thus it ſpoils their gameby an unforeſeen rub in the green, and that eſpecially threeways.
1. By making their counſels tojaramong themſelves, inwhich jars is the ſweetest harmonyofprovidence; thus the counſel of Ahitophel jars with the counſel ofHuſhai, 2 Sam. xvii. 5, 7. bywhich means Davideſcaped: The Phariſees claſhedwiththe
Şadducees, Acts xxiii. 7. and by that means Paul eſcaped.
VOL. IV.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
2. By cutting out other work, and ſtarting ſome newdeſign, which puts them, as a freſh ſcentdoes thedog, to a loſs.
Thus the people ofGod in Jerufalem were delivered by a diverſion, 2 Kings xix. 7. " Behold, I will send a blaſt upon him, andhe
" ſhall heararumour and hall return to his own land, and I " will cauſehim to fall by the ſword in his own land, fo Rab- " ſhakeh returned." By this means alſo was David delivered from thehand ofSaul, 1 Sam. xxiii. 27. And in this method of providence, that ſcripture is often fulfilled, Prov. xxi. 18.
" The wicked ſhallbe a ranſom for the righteous, andthe " tranfgreffor for the upright."
3. By cutting off the capital enemiesofhis church, by whoſe ſeaſonable destruction they are delivered.
Thus fell Julian, that bitter enemy of the Chriſtians, when hewas preparing to puthis laſt andmoſt bloody deſign against them inexecution.
AndthusfellHaman, Nero, and manymore in the very height andheatoftheirdefigns against the church.
3. The wisdom of Godgloriously diſplays itſelfincaufing thedeſigns ofthe wicked, likea furchargedgun, to recoilupon, anddestroythemselves : it oftenfalls out with the undermining enemies of the church, as it ſometimes dothwith them thatdig decy mines in the earth, who aredestroyed and buried in their own work ; Pfal. ix. 15, 16, " The Heathen are ſunkdown in " the pitthat they made, in the netwhich they hid is their own
" feet taken.
The Lord is knownbythejudgments whichhe " executeth, the wicked is ſnared in the workofhis ownhands.
" Higgajon, Selah." There is a doublemercy inthis providence, one in deliveringthe faints fromthedanger, the other in caufing it tofallupon the contrivers, and is therefore celebratedwith a double note of attention: intheſe obfervable ſtrokes, the righteouſneſs ofGod ſhines forth inrepayinghis people's enemies in their own coin *.
ThusHamandid eat the firſt-fruits ofthat tree which his own hands planted, and thus Jerufalem becomes a burdenſome ſtone to all that burden themselves with it, Zech. xii. 3 .
4. Admire and adore the wisdom of yourGod in thoſe great andunexpected advantages,which arife toyou outof thoſe very dangers anddeſigns of your enemies that threatned your ruin ; thevery hands ofyour very enemies are ſometimes made the in- * Nec lex estjustior ulla, Quam nec is artifices arteperirefua.
OVID.
Nor is there anyjuſterlaw, thanthatcontrivers ofmiſchiefperiſhby their own art, ..
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
ſtruments of your advancement and enlargement ; your perfecutionsbecome your privileges, the motto of the palm-tree fitly becomes yours, Suppreffa refurgo.
In three things the wisdom ofGod makes advantage out of your troubles.
1. In fortifyingyour souls and bodies with ſuitable ſtrength, when any eminent trial is intended for you ; ſo it was with the apoſtles, 2 Cor. i. 5. "As theſufferings ofChriſt aboundinus,
" ſo our confolation by Chriſt." God lays in ſuitably to what menlayonmercilefly : Chriſt would not drawthe poor timorous diſciples outofJerufalem unto hard encounters, until firſt he had endued them with power from onhigh, Luke xxiv. 49.
2. The wisdom of yourGod can, and oftendoth make your very troubles and fufferings, instead of ſo many ordinances, to ſtrengthenyour faith, and fortify your patience.
So the heads of Leviathan became meat to his people inhabiting the wilderneſs, Pfal . Ixxiv. 14. Andſo the plots of Balak and Balaamwere deſignedbyGod to be as aſtanding inſtructing ordinance for the encouragement of his people's faith in future difficulties, Mic. vi. 5. " O my people, remember now what
" Balak king ofMoab confulted, and what Balaam the ſon of " Beor anſwered him from Shittim untoGilgal, that ye may
" know the righteousness ofthe Lord." q. d. Youcannotbut remember how thoſe your enemies courted me with multitudes of offerings todeliver you up into their hands, and how faithfully
1ſtoodbyyou in all thoſe dangers; thatplot diſcovered at once the policy of your enemies, and the righteousness of yourGod.
3. His wisdom is discovered to your advantage, inpermitting your dangers togrow to anextremity, on purpoſe to magnify his goodness, and increaſe your comfort in your deliverance from it.
Pfal. cxxvi. 1. " When the Lord turned our capti66 vity, we were as them that dreamed."
Proportionable to thegreatness ofyourdangers will your joys be.
Section III. Well then, if the wisdom ofGod ſhines forthfo gloriouflyinthetimes of his peoples trouble; be perfuadedby faith to enter into this chamber alſo; it is a chamber where a believing ſoul mayenjoy the ſweeteſt reſt andquietneſs inthe moſthurrying and diſtractingtimes; ſhut thedoor behindyou, and improve this attribute toyour best advantage.
1. Enter into this chamber by faith, believe firmly that the management of all the affairs of this world, whether public or perſonal, is in the hands ofyour all-wifeGod; more particularly, exerciſeyour faith about the wisdomofGod in theſethings.
The Righteous Man's Refuge 1. Believe that the wisdom of God can contrive and order theway of your eſcape and deliverance, when all doors of hope are ſhut up to ſenſe and reason; we know not what todo, faid good Jehothaphat, but our eyes are unto thee; q. d. Lord, though I am at a loſs, and fee no way to eſcape, thou art never at a loſs.
The Lord (faith Peter) knoweth how todeliver the godly out of temptation : Divine wisdom hath infinite methods and ways of deliverance unknown to man, till they are opened in the event.
2. Relieve that the wisdom of God can turn your greatest troubles and fears, into the choiceſt bleſſings and mercies to you : I know (faith Paul) that this ſhall turn to my ſalvation,
Phil. i. 19. meaning his bonds andfufferings for Chrift.
Divine wisdom can give you honey out of the carcass ofthe lion, cauſe you to partwith thoſe afflictions, admiringand bleſſingGod for them, which you meet with fear and trembling, as ſuſpecting your destructionwas imported in them, 3. Inconfideration ofboth theſe, reſignupyourſelves to the wisdom of God, and lean not to your own underſtandings ;
" Commit thy way unto the Lord, and thy thoughts ſhall be " eſtabliſhed," Prov. xvi. 3. WhenMelanthon was oppreffed with cares and doubts about the diſtracting affairs of the church in his time, Luther thus chides him out of his defpondency, Definat Philippus effe rector mundi, donot thou prefume to be the governor of the world; but leave the reins ofgovernment in his hand that made it, and best knows how to rule it : letGod alone to chuſe thy lot and portion, to order thy condition, andmanage all thy affairs, and let thy soul take its reſt in this quiet chamber of Divine wisdom.
But then, 2. Be ſure to ſhut thydoorbehind thee, and beware, leſt unbelief, anxieties, fears, and doubts, creep in after thee todifturb thy reſt, and shake thy faith in this point; we are apt, in two cafes, to be ſtumbled in this matter.
1. Whenfubtleand cunning enemies are engaged againſt us ; thiswas David's cafe, 2 Sam, xv. 31. " One told David, ſaying, Ahitophel is among the conſpirators with Abfalom; and " David ſaid, O Lord, I pray thee, turn the counſel of Ahi- " tophel into fooliſineſs." When he heardAhitophel waswith the conſpirators, it greatly puzzled him.
Though a whole conclave of politicians be againſt us, yet ifGodbe with us, let usnot fear.
2. When our own reaſon intrudes too far, and offers its dictatestooboldly inthe caſe, we are apt to ſay in the arrogancy of our own reason, we cannot be delivered; but oh that we
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
wouldlearn to reſign it up to the wisdom ofGod. The Lord knowshow todeliver the godly. When the queſtion was asked the prophet, Ezek . xxxvii . 3. Can theſe dry bones live ? he anfwers, Lord thouknoweſt .
That is excellent counſel, Prov, ii. 5. " Truſt in the Lordwith all thineheart; and lean not to " thineown underſtanding."
3. Improve the wisdom of God for yourſelves in all difficult anddiſtreſsful cafes, 1. Reg of God to exerciſe his wisdom foryou, when enemies conſpire against you: ſo did David, 2 Sam. xv. 31.
" Lord, turn the counſel of Ahitophel into foolishness ! " O it is the nobleſt and ſureſt way tovanquish an enemy: it was but asked anddone.
2. Comfort yourſelves with this wheneveryou are at a loſs in your own thoughts, and know not what todo, thencommit ali to Divine conduct; let God ſteer for you in a ſtorm; he loves to be truſted, Pial, xxxvii. 5. " Commit thy way unto
" the Lord, truſt alſoin him, and he ſhallbring it to paſs."
3. Encourageyourſelves from this whenthe church is in the greateſt danger, and moſt ſorcly ſhaken; O that is ableſled promife, Zech. iii. 9. "Uponone stone ſhallbe ſeven eyes." MeaningChriſt, and the church built on him asthe chiefcorner-ſtone; the ſeven eyes are the ſeven eyes ofprovidence,which are neverall aſleep.
CHAP.
VIII.
Opening that glorious attribute of divinefaithfulness, asa third chamber ofsecurity to the people ofGod, in times ofdistress anddanger.
Sect. I. HAVIN AVING viewed the faints refuge in the power and wisdom ofGod, we next proceed to a third chamber of ſafety for the faints refuge, viz. The faithfulness ofGod.
In this attribute is ourſafety and reſt, amidst the confufions ofthe world, anddaily disappointmentswe are vexed withal, through the vanity and falſeneſs of the creatures: as to creatures, the very best ofthem are but vanity,jea, vanity ofvanity, the vaineſt vanity, Eccl. i. 2. "Every man in his beſt e- " ſtate is altogether vanity," Pfal. xxxix. 5. Yea, thoſe that we expect moſt from, give us moſt oftrouble, Mic. vii. 5. Neareſt relationsbringup the rear offorrows, Jobvi. 15. " Mybre
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" thren havedealt deceitfully as abrook."
Eſpecially theirdeceit appears moſt, whenwe have moſt need of their help, Pfal. cxlii. 4. How great a mercy is itthen tohave a refuge in the faithfulness ofGod as David had; " I looked on myrighthand,
" and beheld, but there was no man that would know me, re- " fuge failed me, no man cared for my foul."
And likewise the church, Mic. vii. 7. " I will look unto the Lord, I will wait " for theGodofmy ſalvation,myGod willhear me." Atime maycome, when you shall not know where to truſt in world.
Let me therefore open to you this chamber of the faithfulness ofGod, againſt ſuch a day, and this I ſhall do inatwofoldconfiderationofit, viz. all this reſt in 1. Abſolutely in its own nature.
; 2.Relatively inthepromises and providences ofGod.
1. Abſolutely, and ſo the faithfulness ofGod ishis ſincerity, firmneſs, and conftancy in performing his word to his people in all times and cafes.
So Moſes deſcribes him to Ifrael, Deut. vii. 9.."Know therefore, that the Lord thy Godhe is God,
" the faithfulGod."
And Joshua appeals to their experience for thevindication ofit, Joſh. xxiii. 14. " Ye know in all your
" hearts, andin all your fouls, that notone thinghath failed " of all the good which the Lord your God ſpake con.
" cerning you ; all are come to país, and not one thing hath " failed thereof." And it is alſo fully aſſerted, Jer. xxxi. 35,
36, 37. and greatly admired even inthe darkeſt day, Lam. iii.
23. Great is thyfaithfulness. And itis well for us that his faithfulneſs is great, for great is that weight that leans upon it, even all ourhopes for bothworlds, forthis world, and forthatto come, Tit. i. 2. " In hope ofeternal life,whichGodthat can- " not lie promiſed before the world began."
Itwas avery diſhonourable character that * Suidas gave of Tiberius, " That he never made thew ofhavingwhat he de- " fired tohave, nor ever minded to do whathe promiſed to " do:" but Godis faithful, and that will appear by theſe followingevidences of it.
Evid. 1. By his exact fulfilling ofhis promiſes of the longeſt,date.
So, Acts vii. 6. four hundred and thirty years were run out before the promise of Ifrael's deliverance out of Egypt was accomplished; yet, Acts vii. 17.whenthe timeof thepromiſe was come, God was punctual to a day : Seventy years in Babylon, and at the expiration of that time, they returned,
* Eorum quae appetebat ne quicquampraeseferebat,et corum quae dicebat, ne quicquamfacere volebat,
Suidas.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
2 Chron. xxxvi. 21. Men may forget, butGodcannot, Ila. xlix. 15, 16.
Evid. 2. By makingway for his promises through the great. eft difficulties, and ſeeming impoſſibilities. So to Abraham when old, Gen. xviii. 13, 14. "Is there anything too hard for " theLord ? At the appointed time will I returnunto thee,ac- " cordingto the time of life; and Sarah ſhallhave afon." And likewise to the Ifraelites, Can theſe dry bones live ? Ezek. xxxvii. 3.
Difficulties are for men, not God, Gen. xviii. 14.
What art thou, Ogreat mountain, Zech. viii.9." Ifit be mar- " vellous in the eyes of the remnantofthis people, ſhould ital- " fo be marvellous in mine eyes ? faiththe Lord of hoſts."
Evid. 3. By fulfilling promiſes to his people, when their hopes and expectations have beengiven up. So Ezek. xxxvii,
11. Our bones are dry, our hope is loſt, we are cut off for our part. And lſa. xlix. 14. " Zion faid, The Lord hath forſaken σε me, and my Lord hath forgotten me."
There may bemuch unbeliefin goodmen, their faith may be forely ſtaggered, yet Godisfaithful; men may queſtion his promifes, yetGod cannotdeny himſelf, 2 Tim. ii. 13.
Evid. 4.ByGod's appealing tohis people, and referring the matter to theirown judgment, Micah vi. 3, 4, 5. " O my peo- " ple, what have Idoneunto thee, and whereinhave Iwearied
" thee?
Teſtify against me, for I brought thee up out of the " land of Egypt, andredeemed thee outof thehouſe of fer- " vants, and I ſent before thee Mofes, Aaron, and Miriam.
O " my people, remember now what Balak king of Moab con- " fulted,and what Balaam the ſon of Beor anſwered him from " Shittim untoGilgal, that ye may know the righteouſneſs of " the Lord; " q. d. If I have failed in apunctilio of mypromiſe, ſhew it : Did not Balak and Balaam court me, and try allways to win me over to them by multitudes of ſacrifices? yet Idid not deſert you. So Jer. ii. 31. "O generation, ſee
" ye the word of the Lord : Have I been a wilderneſs unto " Ifrael, a land of darkness ? Wherefore ſay my people, We et are lords, we will come no more unto thee," Ifa. xliv. 8.
Evid 5. The faithfulness ofGod is abundantly cleared by theconſtant teftimonies given unto it in all ages by them that have tried it, they have all witneſſed forGod, and atteſtedhis unspotted faithfulneſs to the generations that were to come.
SodidJoſhua, chap. xxiii 14."All is come to paſs ; " and ſo didDaniel, chap. ix 4. " O Lord, the great anddreadfulGod,
" keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him : " with which David's teftimony concurs, Pfal. cxlvi. 6. " Happy
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
" is he that hath theGodofJacob for his help, whoſehope is " in the Lord hisGod, which made the heaven and earth, the "ſea and all that therein is, which keepeth truth for ever."
Thus his people havebeenwitneſſes inall generations, unto thefaithfulness ofGod in his promises; the conſiderationwhereof leaves no doubt or objection behind it.
Sect, II. And ifwe enquire into the grounds and reaſonswhy God is, and ever must be moſt faithful in performinghis promiſes, we shall find it is builtupon ſtable and unſhaken pillars : viz.
1. The holiness of his nature.
2. The all-fufficiency of his power.
3. The honour of his name.
4. The unchangeableneſs of his nature.
1. The faithfulness ofGod is built upon the perfect holiness ofhis nature, by reaſon whereof it is impoſſible forGod to lie,
Tit. i. 2. Heb. vi. 18. The deceitfulness ofman flows from the corruption of the human nature, but "God is notaman that " he ſhould lie, neither the ſon ofman that he ſhould repent;
" hath he said, and ſhallhe not do it? Or hath he ſpoken, and " ſhall henot make it good ? " Num. xxiii. 19. Ifthere be no defect in his being, there can be none in his working ; if his nature be pure holiness, all hisways must be perfect faithfulneſs.
2. It isbuiltupon the all-fufficiencyofhispower ; whatsoever he hath promiſed to his people, he is able to perform it; men ſometimes falfify theirpromiſes, through the defects ofabilityto perform them ; butGod never out-promiſed himself; ifhewill work, none can lett, Iſa. xliii. 13. He can do whatsoever he pleaſeth to do, Pfal. cxxxv. 6. The holiness of his nature engageth, andthe almightiness of his power enables him tobe faithful.
3. The glory and honour of his name mayaſſure us of his faithfulness, in making good the promiſes, and all that good which is in the promiſes, to atittle ; for wherever you find a promiſe ofGod, you alſo find the name and honour ofGod given as a ſecurity for the performance of it; and ſo his name hath everbeenpleaded with him by his people, as a mighty argument to work for them, Joſh. vii. 9. What wilt thoudofor thygreat name, q. d. Lord, thine honour is a thousandtimes more than our lives, it is no ſuch great matter what becomes of us; but ah, Lord, it is of infinite concernment that theglory ofthyname be ſecured, and thy faithfulneſs kept pure and untpotted in the world. So again, Exod. xxxii. 11, 12. "And
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
"Moſes befought the LordhisGod, and faid, Lord,whydoth "thywrathwaxhot against thypeople which thou haft brought out of the land of Egypt, with great power, and with a -" mighty hand ?
Wherefore ſhould the Egyptians ſpeak, and " ſay, for mischief didhe bring them out to flay them in the mountains, and toconfume them fromthe face ofthe earth ?
" turn from thy fierce wrath, and repent of this evil against " thy people." q. d. It will be fad enough for the hands of theEgyptians to fall upon thy people, but infinitely worſe for thetongues of the Egyptians to fall upon thyname.
4.The unchangeableness ofhis nature gives us the fulleſt afſuranceof his faithfulness in the promises, Mal. iii. 6. " I am
" the Lord, I change not; therefore ye fons of Jacob arenot " confumed." God's unchangeableness is his people's indemnity, and beſt ſecurityinthe midst ofdangers; asthere is not yeaand nay with God, neither ſhould it be ſo with our faith'; thatwhich gives ſteadiness to the promises, thould give ſteadineſs alſo toourexpectationsfortheperformance ofthem : and fo much, briefly, of the faithfulness ofGod, abſolutely confidered inthe nature and grounds of it.
2. Next let us view the faithfulness of God, as it relates to the manygreat andprecious promiſesmade unto his people før theirſecurity, both in their 1. Temporal } 2. Spiritual.
Concernments.
1. We find the faithfulness ofGod pledged for the ſecurity ofhis people, in their ſpiritual and eternal concernments, againſt all their dangers and fears, threateningthem on that account, and that moreeſpecially in theſe threereſpects.
1. It isgiventhem astheir greatandbeſt ſecurity for thepardon of their ſins, I John i. 9. " Ifwe confeſs our fins, he is
" faithful andjuſt to forgiveusour fins, and tocleanſe us from " all unrighteouſneſs."
Our greateſt dauger comes from fin; guilt isafountainoffears, apardoned foul only can look other troubles inthe faceboldly: asguiltbegets fear, ſo pardon produces courage, andGod's faithfulneſs inthe covenant is, as it were, that pardon-office from whence we fetch ourdischarges andacquittances, Ifa. xliii. 25. " I, even I, am he that blotteth
"out thy tranfgreffions for mine own fake."
The promiſes of remiffionare made for Chriſt's fake, and when made, they muft befulfilled forhis own, thatis his faithfulness fake.
2. It is engaged for the perfeverance of the faints, and their continuancein theways ofGod in the moſthazardous anddifVOL. IV.
The Righteous Man's Refuge. ficulttimes; thiswas the encouragement giventhem, I Cor. i,
8, 9.9. "Who ſhall alſo confirmyou untothe end,thatye maybe " blameleſs in the day of our Lord Jesus Chriſt ; God is faith- " fulbywhomyewere called untothe fellowship of his SonJeſus
" Chriſt our Lord."
Ah Lord ! might thoſe Corinthians ſay, thepowersoftheworldareagainſt us, fufferingand death are beforeus, atreacherousand fearfulheart within us. Ay, butyet fear not, Chriſt ſhall confirm you, whoſoever oppoſes you ; though the world and your own hearts be deceitful, yet comfort yourſelves with this, your God is faithful.
3. The faithfulnessofGod isgivenbypromiſe for his people's ſecurity in, and encouragement against, all their fufferings and afflictions in this world, 2 Theff. iii. 2, 3. " That we may be
" delivered from unreasonableand wicked men, for all men have " not faith; but the Lord is faithful, who ſhall ſtabliſh you, and " keep you from evil."
He prays they maybe delivered from abfurd, treacherous, and unfaithfulmen, who wouldtrepan and betray them to ruin; but this is propoſed as their relief, that when the treachery of men ſhall bring them into troubles, the faithfulness ofGod ſhall ſupport them under, and deliver them out of thoſe troubles ; they ſhall have ſpiritual ſupports from Godunder their deepeſt ſufferings from men, I Pet. iv. 19.
2. God's faithfulneſs is engaged for his people's indemnity and ſecurity, amidſt the temporal and outward evils whereunto they are liable in this world ; andthat, either to preſerve them from troubles, Pfal. xci. 1, 2, 3, 4. or to open a ſeaſonable door ofdeliverance out of trouble, 1 Cor. x. 13. In both, or either ofwhich, the hearts of chriſtians may be at reſt in this troubleſome world; for what need thoſe troubles fright us, which either ſhall never touch us, or iftheydo, ſhallnever hurt, much leſs ruin us ?
Section Ii. Having taken aſhortviewofGod's faithfulneſs in thepromises, itwillbe alovely fight to take oneviewof itmore, as it is actuated, andexerted inhis providences over his people.
Believe it, Chriſtians, the faithfulness ofGod runs through all his works ofprovidence,whenever he goes forth towork in the world, " Faithfulness is the girdle ofhis loins," Ifa. xi. 5. It is an alluſion toworkmen who going forth in the morning totheir labour, gird their loins or reins with a girdle ; now there isno workwrought byGod in this world, but his faithfulness is as thegirdle ofhis loins: The confideration whereof ſhouldmake the moſt deſpondent believer, Gird up the loins of hismind, that is, encourage, and ſtrengthenhis drooping anddiſcouraged heart.
Thoſeworks ofGodwhich are wrought in faithfulness, andin
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
pursuit ofhis eternal purpoſes, andgracious promiſes, ſhould ratherdelight, than affright us, inbeholding them.
It pluckt outthe ſting ofDavid's affliction, when he confidered it was in veryfaithfulness, thatGod had afflictedhim, Pfal. cxix. 89, 90.
Butmore particularly, let us behold with delightthe faithfulness ofGod, making good fix forts ofpromiſes tohis people, in the days of their affliction andtrouble, viz.
1. The promises of preſervation.
2. The promiſes ofſupport.
3. The promises ofdirection.
4. The promiſes of provifion.
5. The promises ofdeliverance.
6. The promiſes of ordering, and directing the event to their advantage.
1. There are promiſes in the word for your preſervation from ruin, and what you read in thoſe promiſes, you daily fee the fame fulfilled in your own experiences.
You have apromiſe in Pfal. lvii. 3. "He shall fend from heaven, and ſave me " from the reproach ofhim that wouldswallow meup. Selah.
"God ſhall ſend forth his mercy and his truth. "
Say now, haveyou notfound it ſo ? When hell hath ſent forth itstemptations to defile you, the world it's perfecutions todeſtroy you, your own heart its unbelievingfears to diſtract and ſink you, hath not yourGod ſent forth all his mercyand his truth toſave you ?
Hath not his truth been your ſhield and buckler ? Pfal. xci. 4.
Mayyou not ſay, with the church, it is of his mercy you are not confumed, his mercies are new every morning, andgreat is his faithfulneſs, Lam. iii. 23.
2. As you have ſeen it actually fulfilling the promiſes for your preſervation, ſo you mayfee it making good all the promiſes inhisword for yourfupport in troubles. That is a ſweet promiſe, Pfal . xci. 15. " I will be with him in trouble : I will
" deliver him."
You have alſo avery ſupporting promife in Ifa. xli . 10. " Fear not thou, for Iam with thee: be not dif- " mayed, for I am thyGod : Iwill ſtrengthen thee, yea, I will
" help thee, yea, I will uphold thee with the right-hand of my righteouſneſs. " Oh ! how evidentlyhath the faithfulneſs ofGod ſhone forth in the performance ofhis word toyou in " thisreſpect! you are his witneſſes, youwould have funk in the deepwaters oftrouble ifithad not been ſo. So ſpeaks David,
Pfal. Ixxiii. 26. " My heart and my fleſh faileth; but God is " the ſtrengthofmy heart,and myportion for ever." Have you notfound it ſowith you as it is in 2 Cor. xii. 10. " Therefore
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
"" I take pleafure ininfirmities, inreproaches, inneceffities, in perfecutions, in diftreffes for Chrift's fake : for when I am
" weak, then am I ſtrong."
God's ſtrength hath beenmade perfect inyour weakness, by this youhave beencarried through all your troubles; hitherto hath he helpedyou.
3. As you have seen it faithfully fulfilling the promises for your preſervation, and ſupport; ſoyou have seen it in thedirection of your ways.
So runs that promiſe, Pfal. xxxii. 8.
" Iwill instruct thee and teach thee in thewaythat thou ſhalt 66 go : Iwill guide thee with mine eye." Certain it is, " That " theway of man is not in himself," Jer. x. 23. Ohow faithfully hath yourGod guided you, and ftoodby you in all the difficult cafes of your life! Is not that promife, Heb. xiii. 5. faithfully fulfilled toa tittle, " I will never leavethee, nor forſake
" thee?" Surelyyou can fet your feal to that inJohn xvii. 17.
" Thy word is truth;" had you been left to your own coun fels you had certainly perished; as it is ſaid of them inPfal.
Ixxxi. 12. " I gave them upunto their own hearts lufts: and " they walked intheir own counſels."
4. As there are promiſes inthe word for your preſervation, fupport, and direction; ſo in the fourth place there are promi fes for your proviſions, as in Pfal. xxxiv. 9. the Lordhath pro miſed that they thatfear himshallnotwant.
When they are driven to extremity, he will provide, Ifa. xli. 17. " When the 66 poor and needy ſeek water, and there is none, and their
" tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the "God of Ifrael will not forſake them."
And is notthis faith. fully performed ? " He hath given meat unto them that fear
" him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant," Pfal. cxi. 5.
In all the exigencies of your lives, you have found him faithful to this day; you are his witneſſes that his providences never failed you, his care hath been renewed every morning for you ; howgreat is his faithfulness !
5. You alſo findin the wordfome reviving promiſes for your deliverances.
You have a very ſweet promife in Pfal. xci. 14.
" Because hehath ſethis love upon me, therefore will I deliver "him:" and again, Pfal. 1. 15."Call uponme intheday of " trouble ; I will deliver thee;" youhavedone fo, andhe hath made away to eſcape.
Our lives are ſomany monuments of mercy; we have lived among lions, yet preſerved, Pfal. Ivii.
The burning buſh was an emblem of the church miraculouflypreſerved.
6. There are promiſes inthe word for the ordering and die recting all the occurrences ofprovidence to your great advanta
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
ges; ſo it is promifed, Rom. viii. 28. " That all things ſhall "work together for good, tothemthat loveGod."
Fear not, Chriſtians, however you find it now; whilft you are toffing to andfroupon the unſtables waves ofthis world; you shall find, tobe ſure, whenyou come toheaven, that all the troubles of your liveswereguided as ſteddily by this promiſe, as everany ſhipat ſeawas directed to its port, by the compaſs ornorthftar.
Andnow whatremains, but that I preſs you as before, 1. To enter into this chamber ofdivine faithfulness .
2. To fhut thedoor after you.
3. And thento live comfortably on itin evil days.
J. Enter into this chamber of God's faithfulness by faith, andhideyourſelves there. Every manisalie, butGod is true, eternallyand unchangeably faithful.
Oh ! exerciſe your faith upon it, be at reſt in it.
Now there are two greatandweighty arguments topreſs you toenter intothis chamber ofdivine faithfulness .
Arg. 1. Is fetched from the nature ofGod, who cannot lie, Tit. i. 2." He is nota man, that he ſhould lie," Numb. xxiii.
19. "Neither the ſon of manthathe ſhould repent : hath he " faid, and ſhallhe notdo it? orhath he ſpoken, and thallhe
"not make it good ?" Rememberuponwhat everlasting, ſteddygrounds the faithfulness ofGod is built.
Theſe are immutablethings, Heb. vi. 18. ThisAbraham built upon, Rom. iv.
21. "being fully persuaded, that what he had promiſed, he "was able alſo toperform." He accountedhim faithful that promised.
What would you expect or require in the perfon that you are to truſt ? You would, 1. Expect a clear promife; and lo! you have athoufand all the ſcripture over, fitted to allthe cafes of your fouls and bodies.
This you mayplead withGod, asDavid, Pfal. cxix.
49. '' Remember thewordunto thy fervant, uponwhich thou " haft cauſed me tohope."
SoJacob pleaded,Gen.xxxii. 12.
"Thou ſaidſt I will surelydo thee good."
Theſe areGod's bondsandobligations.
2. You would expect ſufficient power to makegoodwhat hepromiseth. This is inGod as a fair foundation of faith,
Ha. xxvi.4. "Truft ye in the Lord for ever; for inthe Lord "
Jehovah is everlaſting ſtrength; Because of thy ſtrength we willwait upon thee : creatures cannot, butGod cando whathewill.
3. Youwould expectinfinite goodness and mercy inclining him tohelp and ſave you. Why,ſo it is here, Pfal. cxxx.
The Righteous Man's Refuge.
7." Let Ifrael hope in the Lord, for with the Lord there is " mercy, andwithhim is plenteous redemption."
So Mofes, Exod. xxxiii. 18. " I beseech thee ſhew me thyglory."
The requeſt was, a view of God's glory : The answer is, my good. neſsſhallpass before thee ; which hints to us, that though all
God's attributes be glorious, yet that he moſtglories in ishis goodness. And then, 4. You would expectthat none ofhis promiſes were ever blottedor ſtained by his unfaithfulneſs at any time ; and ſo it is here, Joſh . xxiii. 14. Not one thing hath failed; all are come to paſs, all ages have ſealed this concluſion, Thy wordis truth, thywordis truth.
.Arg. 2. Besides all this, you have the encouragement of all former experiences, both others, and your own, as a ſecond argument to preſs you to enter into this chamber of ſafety, the faithfulness of God.
I. You have the experiences ofothers. Saints have reckoned the experiences of others that lived a thousand years before them, as excellent arguments toquicken their faith : SeHof. xii. 4. he had power over the angel, and prevailed; he found
د him inBethel, and there he ſpake. Remember there was a Joſeph with us in priſon, a Jeremy in thedungeon, aDaniel in theden, a Peter inchains, anHezekiah upon the brink of the grave; andthey all found the help ofGod moſt faithfullypro-
tecting them, and ſavingthem in all their troubles.
Suitable tothis is that in Pfal. xxii. 4, 5. " Our fathers truſted in thee; " they truſted, and thou deliveredſt them ; they cried unto thee, and were delivered; they truſted in thee, and were
" not confounded."
2. Your own experiences may encourage your faith : So David's did, I Sam . xvii. 37. "The Lord that delivered me
" out of the pawofthe lion, and out of the paw of the bear, " he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philiftine."
So did Paul's experience encourage his faith, in 2 Cor. i. 10.
" Who delivered us from ſogreat adeath, and doth deliver; " inwhom we trust that he will yet deliver us."
Thus enter into the faithfulness ofGodby faith.
2. Let me beg you tobe ſure to ſhut thedoors afteryou, againſt all unbelievingdoubts, jealoufies, and fufpicions of the faithfulness of God? the beſt men may find temptations of that nature; ſo did goodAfaph, though aneminent faint, Pfal.
Ixxvii . 78. " Will the Lord cast off for ever: and willbe he "favourable no more ?
Is his mercyclean gone for ever ?
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" doth his promiſe fail for evermore ? " Theſe jealoufies are apt tocreep inuponthe minds of men, eſpeciallywhen,
1. Goddelays to anſwer our prayers as foon as we expect the return of them ; we are all inhaſte for a ſpeedy anſwer, forgetting that ſeaſons of prayer are our feed-times ; andwhen we have fown that precious feed, we must wait for the harvest, as thehusbandman doth.
Even a precious Heman may find faint qualm of unbelief and deſpondency ſeizing him by the longſuſpenſion of God's anſwers, Pfal. lxxxviii. 9, 10, 11.
2. It will be hard to shut the door upon unbelief, when al things inthe eyes of our fenfe and reaſon ſeem towork against the promise ; it will require an Abraham's faith at fuch atime toglorifyGod bybelieving in hope against hope, Rom. iv. 18.
If ever thou hopeſt to enjoy the ſweet repoſe and reſt of a Chriſtian in evil times, thou must reſolve, whatever thine eyes dofee, or thy ſenſes report, to hold faſt this as a moſt ſure conclufion ; God is faithful, and his word is fure ; and that although " clouds anddarkneſs beround abouthim,yet righte- " ouſneſs andjudgment are the habitation of his throne," Pal. xcvii. 2.
Oh! that you would once learn firmlytodepend onGod's faithfulness, and fetch your daily reliefs and ſupports thence, whenfoever you are oppreffed and affaulted, either,
1. By fpiritual troubles. When you walk indarkness, and have no light, thenyou are to live by acts of trust and recumbencyuponthe moſt faithful one, Ifa. 1. 10.
Or, 2. By temporal diſtreſſes; ſodid the people ofGod of old, Heb. iii. 17, 18. He lived by faith onthis attribute, when all viſiblecomforts and ſupplies were out of fight.
But eſpecially, let me warn and caution you againſt five principal enemies to your repoſe upon the faithfulness ofGod, viz.
1. Diſtracting cares, which dividethe mind, and eatoutthe peace and comfort of the heart, and which is worst of all, they reflect verydiſhonourablyuponGodwhohath pledgedhis faithfulness and truth for our ſecurity; against which, I pray you bar the door by thoſe two fcriptures, Phil. iv. 6. " Be careful
" for nothing, but in every thing by prayer and ſupplication "with thanksgiving, let your requeſts be made known unto
" God." Andthat in 1 Pet. v. 7. " Caſting allyour careupon " him, for he careth for you."
2.Bar thedoor againſt unchriſtiandeſpondency,anotherenemy to the ſweet repoſe ofyour fouls in this comfortable and quiet chamber ofdivine faithfulneſs: you will find this unbe
The Righteous Man's Refuge. cominganduncomfortable diſtemper of mind infinuating and creeping inupon you, except you believe and reaſon it out, as Daviddid, Pfal. xiii. 11. " Why artthou caſtdown,O myfoul?
" andwhy art thou diſquieted within me ? Hopethou in God, " for I ſhall yet praiſe him."
-3. Barthedoor ofyour heart against carnalpoliciesand finful ſhifts, which war against your own faith, and God's faithful. neſs, asmuch as anyother enemy whatsoever.
This was the fault ofgood David inaday of trouble, 1 Sam. xxvii. 1. " And " David ſaid in his heart, I shall now periſh one dayby the "handof Saul; there is nothing better for me than that I " ſhouldſpeedily eſcapeintothe land ofthe Philistines."
Alas, poorDavid! nothingbetterthanthis? Timewaswhenthou couldſt think ona better way,whenthou couldſtſay, atwhattime Iam afraidI will trust in thee. How doſt thou forget thyselfin this ſtrait! doth thyold refuge inGod fail thee now, can the Philiftines ſecure thee better thanthe promises ? wilt thou fly from thybest friend to thyworſtenemies ? butwhat needwewonder atDavid, who find the ſame diſtemper almoſt unavoidable to ourſelves in like cafes ?
4. Shut the door againſt diſcontents at, and murmurings againft, the diſpoſitions of providence, whatever you feel or fear : I perfuade you not to a ſtoical apathy, and ſenſeleſſneſs ofthe evils ofthe times, that would preclude the exercife of patience.
Ifthe martyrs had all hadthedead palſybefore they cametothe fire, their faith and patiencehadnottriumphedfo gloriously as they did; but on the contrary, beware of grudgings against theways and will ofGod, than which, nothing militates more againſt your faith, and the peace andquietness of yourhearts.
1 5. To conclude, ſhut the door against all fufpicions and jealoufies ofthe firmneſs and ſtabilityofthepromiſes,whenyou findallſenſiblecomforts ſhaking andtremblingunderyour feet; haveacareofſuch dangerous queſtions as that, Pfal. Ixxvii.8.
Doth his promisefail? Theſe arethe things which undermine the foundationbothofyour faith and comfort.
6. In a word, having ſheltered your fouls in this chamber ofreft, and thus thut thedoors behindyou, all that you have todo is to take your reſt inGod, andenjoy thepleaſure of a foulreſignedinto the hands ofafaithful Creator, by oppofing the faithfulness of God to all the fickleneſs and unfaithfulness youwilldaily find inmen, Micah vii. 6,7.yea, tothe weakness andfading ofyourown natural ſtrength andability; Pfal. Ixxiii.
26."My fleth and my heart faileth, butGod is the trength