a Judgment so when he hath brought it and it reaches them he takes care to sanctifie it to them Whatever they sustain or suffer in their Bodies Names or Estates it is made up in the communication of the Divine Nature and the encrease of Grace that is made by these things The Author to the Hebrews tells us plainly That the End of God in afflicting his people is their profit Heb. 12.10 But what profit is it that comes by these He tells us it is the partaking of his Holinesse When we are made partakers of the Life of God we are gainers though we should lose our own lives in the inquest of it Therefore the Apostle counsels the Saints to rejoice in their afflictions Jam. 1.2 3. My Brethren count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations knowing this That the trial of your Faith worketh patience Never be sad for what you suffer for if you get nothing but patience you will be gainers by all your sufferings Now Faith and Patience are as much tryed and improved by what we suffer from God as what we suffer from men And though it be hard upon this account to rejoice under afflictions yet the people of God do often rejoice after them for the good they have received by them as David Psal 119.71 It is good for me that I was afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes For he had said before v. 67. Before I was afflicted I went astray but now have I kept thy word Thus you see the Providence of God appears towards his people either in keeping them from the evils which fall upon others or the sanctifying them to them and turning them into good Secondly He hath a special Care of his people to preserve them from those Evils which their Enemies intend and design against them whether it be the Devil or wicked men 1. God hath so great a care of his people that the Devil their adversary who goeth about like a roaring Lyon seeking whom he may devour yet cannot touch them without leave of God as we see in the case of Job 1.10 The Devil acknowledges that Job was so well defended by the Hedg that God had made about him that there was no touching of him there was no gap in that Hedg and it was too high and strong to break over it God must open a door and let him in or he could do nothing to Job 2. His Providence appears greatly in preserving them in the World in the midst of their Enemies the Sons of Belial and that several ways 1. He sometimes restraines their Enemies and over-rules their Counsels that they cannot speedily resolve upon or effectually execute what they design Thus he withheld Balaam from cursing Israel and restrained Laban from hurting Jacob. 2dly He stirs up secret friends to favour and to shelter his people when danger is near them Thus he raised up Obadiah in Ahab's Court to favour the Prophets of the Lord and to hide and feed them in the persecution of Jezabel and the sore Famine that was upon the Land 3dly He somtimes converts their Enemies and makes use of those to build the Church who had before destroyed it Thus he did by Paul who breathed out threatnings against the Church of God 4thly He sometimes changes their minds though he convert them not as he dealt by Esau whom the Lord made kind to his Brother Jacob though he continued the same man he was 5thly God some times takes them out of the way as he did Herod Matt. 1.20 who sought after Christ in his Infancy to cut him off Thus the Lord preserves his people from the evils which might fall on them from men Thirdly His Providence is seen in keeping them from those evils which they are prone to run themselves into through ignorance or inadvertency God preserves his people from many secret and unseen dangers which they are not sensible of such as they did not foresee and therefore could not prevent He hath given his Angels charge concerning them to keep them in all their ways who shall bear them in their hands lest they should dash their feet against a stone Psal 91.11 12. They have a charge from God to watch over his people and they are faithful and affectionate to preserve them from those evils which they observe not and are prone to overlook Fourthly God's Providence appears toward his people in this That when he sends any Judgment upon the Earth that is to be executed by an unseen hand he will not trust it in the hands of the Evil Angels but employs the Good Angels who are Friends and Guardians to his people and of the Family with them of the first-born This we see in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah he sends the Angels about this Work who might secure Lot in the destruction of it Gen. 19.1 And when the great Plague was sent upon Israel which destroyed Seventy Thousand men in three days 2 Sam. 24.15 it was executed by a good Angel Doubtless the Devil would have been glad of such an Employment but God would not for his peoples sakes trust him with any such power Fifthly God's Care for his people is so great that it is without any intermission Psal 121.3 4. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved he that keepeth thee will not slumber Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep God's Care of his people is a constant unintermitted Care it leaves no door open for the vigilant Enemy Saul thought himself safe when he slept amongst his Captains and Souldiers who had a special charge to watch for their Kings Life but while his numerous Guard were all asleep David went out into his camp and took away Sauls Spear which was at his Bolster and with it might have taken away his Life 1 Sam. 26.12 But God's Providence for his People neither sleeps nor slumbers therefore their Enemies can take no such advantage of them Sixthly So great is the Lord's Care for his People that their preservation in the world was the great thing which lay upon the heart of Christ when he was going out of the world And we all know that mens affections are then discovered those whom we love we provide for then John 17.9 I pray for them I pray not for the world but for them that thou hast given me out of the world ver 15. I pray not that thou shouldst take them out of the world but that thou shouldst keep them from the evil The whole Chapter is full of the expressions of his wonderful Love and tender Care for his People which he uttered at that time as he himself tells them that they might have his Joy fulfilled in themselves that all the people of God might know how his heart in Heaven is affected towards them on Earth Thus you see wherein God expresses his Care of his people next follow the Reasons that may be assigned for this and they are Reas 1. They are
the connexion of the 1 2 3 verses of the 91. Psal He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shaddow of the Almighty What is the meaning of this but that he that makes God his refuge in danger shall be safe under his protection from this general proposition David takes up a particular resolution to depend upon God I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress my God in him will I trust And from thence he infers for his own the comfort of all that do thus Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisome Pestilence The connexion of the 9. 10. verses of this Psalm are no less considerable than these Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the most high thy habitation there shall no evil befall thee neither shall the Plague come nigh thy dwelling Where such a particular act of Faith goes before preservation from the evil commonly follows and this is always the fruit of special grace Secondly Where preservation is in mercy there is found an acceptance of life and liberty and peace and what ever we enjoy in this as from the hand of God taking all from him Faith is a Grace that fetches all from God and gives all to him it hath to do with God in every thing and looks over and beyond every creature and means to him if Faith apprehend a danger it takes its preservation from it as well as its deliverance out of it equally from God This we see in David Psal 18.2 The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer my God my strength in whom I will trust my buckler and the horn of my Salvation and my high tower David gives God all those titles which we give to those things from whence we expect or receive help whatever men fly too or depend upon in time of danger that is God unto David therefore he ascribes all the deliverance that he had from trouble to the Lord alone he takes his life as given him by the Lord ver 16.17 He sent from above he took me he drew me out of many waters he delivered me from my strong enemy And as he acknowledges his preservation from danger so he also confesses all the good that he injoys to be peculiarly from the Lord. Psal 23.5 Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of mine enemies thou anointest my head with oil my cup runneth over Thus where God gives any thing in mercy he gives a heart to acknowledg the mercy to be from him and to eye God particularly in it Thirdly A high esteem of the mercy that comes in such a way The season and the conveyance of the mercy do much advance the price of it To live in dying times to be safe when others are in danger to be in peace when others are in trouble is a mercy to be highly prized To have all these at such a time is much but to have them in answer to prayer to have them through the Promise and Covenant of Grace is a great deal more To have these not as the fruit of common providence but of special grace and fatherly care ' sets a great lustre upon the mercy and makes it very precious in the esteem of the soul We see David was much affected with deliverance that the Lord gave him Psal 116. Because it was in a time of great trouble and danger v. 3. The sorrows of death compassed me And because he saw the hand of God eminently in it v. 6. The Lord preserveth the simple I was brought low and he helped me He prized it the more because it came as an answer to his prayers v. 1. I love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplications And cheifly because through all this he saw that God had a singular care of him and a high esteem of his life and not only of his but of all those that fear him ver 15. Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his Saints Fourthly Then preservation from danger comes in special mercy to us when the same impressions are found upon our spirits which the affliction sanctified should have wrought upon us When the keeping off of an Evil doth work the same things that this should have produced if it had come and had been sanctified to the soul then the preservation from this is in mercy to the soul As for example Art thou in health when others are sick Art thou free when others are shut up Hast thou life and strength when others are upon beds of languishing Then enquire Dost thou find those workings of thy heart as are suitable to a gracious spirit upon a sick bed Dost thou see the vanity of the World the shortness of time Dost thou mourn for the loss of time as they do who are going into Eternity And art thou careful to call thy Evidences together Dost thou see the preciousness of thy soul the weight of Eternity the excellency of Christ and of an Interest in God as if thou wert upon a Death-bed Oh then thy preservation is a mercy to thee for these should have been the gracious fruits of such a condition if thou hadst been brought into it for God hath done that good by keeping off the affliction which he should have done thee by it if it had fallen upon thee and had been blest unto thee Fifthly Then Preservation is in love when it is accompanied with a singular love to God Thou wilt find thy heart not only in love with God but thou wilt call upon thy heart more and more to love God This was David's care to engage his heart to God because of that singular providence of his over him Psal 116.1 He is also much affected with the goodness of God towards his people he therefore stirs up others to love him in respect of his Providence Psal 31.19 20 23. Oh how great is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of men thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavillion from the strife of tongues Hence he takes occasion ver 23. to call upon men to love God O love the Lord all ye Saints for the Lord preserveth the faithful and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer It is but reasonable that when we see more of God's love in any Providence it should engage us to put in more of our love into every duty We should be full of affection and zeal for the glory of that God who we see cares for us Thirdly We shall know whether this Preservation be in mercy by those things which follow it First If there be found in us a care to keep those impressions alive which were made upon our hearts in the time
he pulls Lot out to keep him from the danger Read but the stories of Abraham Jacob Elijah and David in their Pilgrimage and you cannot but acknowledg a special providence of God attending them in all conditions VVhen Abraham was in danger and the weakness of his faith appeared in it how does God take care to bring him off with safety and honour He afflicts Abimelech's Family and then acquaints him with the reason of it Gen. 20.3 See his care of Jacob when he fled from his Brother Esau he provides for him first in his Uncles house and when the time is come the same Providence which brought him thither and kept him there must make way for his Return to bring him off safely for his place of entertainment was become his Prison his Wealth too great a Booty to let go but God meets Laban Gen. 31.24 before he overtakes Jacob and prevents him from doing the injury he intended After he had escaped the hands of Laban he must fall into the hands of Esau who had long since threatned his death and hath now the opportunity that he had looked for to cut him off yet God turns his heart and makes him kind to Jacob so that he might well say Gen. 33.4 I have seen thy face as if I had seen the face of God for he might see Gods face in his It was God that made Esau kind to Jacob it was a reconciled God that made a reconciled Brother Consider but the care that God takes of Elijah when he w s distressed by Famine on the one hand and the persecution of Jezabel on the other He feeds him by an Angel by the Ravens and by the Widow of Sareptah We must needs confess him to be a great instance of Gods Providence The like we have in David whom Saul had appointed to death how did he persecute him and hunt him like a Partridge on the Mountains yet God raises up some to save him One while his Wife deceives her Father when he would have slain him in his bed Another while Jonothan is of his Council and gives him intelligence when danger is near him and he was fain to flye to save himself and is closely pursued in the Wilderness and in great danger to be taken he is preserved by an Invasion made upon the Land by the Philistines 1 Sam. 23.26 27. And David made hast to get away for fea of Saul for Saul and his men compassed Daved and his men round about to take them But there came a Messenger unto Saul saying Hast thee and come forth Philistines have invaded the Land Wherefore Saul returned from pursuing after David Saul never came out with greater resolution with better preparation than now He was resolved to make a search for him through the whole Land and to find him where ever he should conceal himself ver 23. If he be in the Land sayes he I will search him out thorough out all the thousands of Iudah For preparation he had correspondence with the Ziphites who knew those parts where David was and had instruction to search out every lurking place of his and for strength he had men enough to inclose David and all his men in the Wildernesse Saul in all this confidence is notwithstanding disappointed God had otherwise provided to secure David and divert Saul by a way that neither thought of These may serve for instances of this Truth A farther proof of it may be Secondly By considering the expressions by which this Providence of God is set forth in Scripture and they are such as note a very tender and special care of them and they are chiefly these three 1. Keeping or covering them under his wings Deut. 32.11 12. As an Eagle stirreth up her nest fluttereth over her young spreadeth abroad her wings taketh them beareth them on her wings so the Lord alone did lead them The Providence of God which is sometimes compared to the Hens gathering of her Chickens under her wings is here set forth by the Eagles care of her young ones which is the noblest the wisest and strongest of Birds and for tenderness to hers falls short of none She doth not onely keep them in the Nest but she carries them also with her from the Nest and that not with her Talons as she does her prey lest she should hurt them but on her wings David praying for help in time of his trouble uses this expression Psal 17.8 9. Hide me under the shadow of thy wings from the wicked that oppress me from my deadly enemies who compass me about David knew well enough That under this shadow he should be secret and safe from his enemies how many or how strong soever And the security of such a person he does elsewhere strongly assert especially against that Evil which no other strength or skill can protect us from I mean the destroying Pestilence see Psal 91. in ver 1 4. he alludes to this expression and in the following verses he shews the fruit of this in a freedom both from the fear of the Judgment and of the Judgment it self V. 1. He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty V. 4. He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust But what advantage shall this be to him See in the following verses v. 5 6. He shall not be afraid of the terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day nor for the Pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the Destruction that wasteth at noon-day Now though this be not an absolute promise of freeing every godly person from this noisom disease yet it is a ground for their hope the people of God may take hold of this promise and plead it with God for their preservation and if they be found in their duties acting faith upon God there is very much spoken in these words for their security For God hath given his Angels charge over them to keep them in all their ways especially if we make the Most High our Habitation If we would have the benefit of Divine Protection we must be sure to put our selves under it by a particular act of Faith 2. A second expression by which this Providence is exprest is his hiding his people in time of danger Psal 27.5 In the time of trouble he shall hide me in his pavillion in the secret of his Tabernacle shall he hide me And Psal 31.20 Thou shalt hide me in the secret of thy presence from the pride of men thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavillion from the strife of tongues This is another way by which we express the care we take for those we love when we fear to be overpowered or opprest we hide that which we would keep where we suspect our strength to protect what we desire to preserve we make up that defect by care and skill Thus Rahab hid the Spyes whom she could not protect