now to expect and in all perilous and dangerous conditions and circumstances whatsoever are we to trust in his good Providence and Protection and to expect help and relief from him We are not to be afraid for the terror by night nor for the arrow that flyeth by day nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day Psal 91.5 6. We are not so to be afraid of these or the like as to despair of mercy and help from Almighty God but at all times and in all places where we are threatned with any dangers we are to have recourse to him in prayer and then to rest securely upon his divine Help and Assistance and to know that he will be a very present help in all our trouble as the Psalmist saith Psal 46.1 And we are further assured of his blessed help at such times in several other places of his sacred word Psal 91.3 saith the Psalmist Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler and from the noisom pestilence He shall cover thee with his feathers and under his wings shalt thou trust And God doth give his People great assurance of his Help and Protection when they have great need of them by his Prophet Isaiah 41.10 Fear thou not saith he for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Behold all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded they shall be as nothing and they that strive with thee shall perish Thou shalt seek them and shalt not find them even them that contended witb thee They that war against thee shall be as nothing and as a thing of nought For I the Lord thy God will hold thy right hand saying unto thee fear not I will help thee This large exhortation and great encouragement doth God give to his People to rest themselves securely upon him and not to fear their enemies which should thus vanish away and come to nought And if we firmly trust in God we may expect that this promise will be made good to us now and that our enemies shall thus vanish and come to nought And he promiseth to be with his People in all the great dangers that they are brought into Is 43.2 When thou passest thorow the waters saith he I will be with thee and thorow the rivers they shall not overflow thee When thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee And even at the Stake if it should please God to suffer us to be brought thither are we to confide and trust in the Lord Jehovah and to expect that even then he will be a Mighty God and Saviour to us and furnish us with extraordinary help and strength fit for such a Fiery Tryal He that hath promised to be with his People and Servants when they pass thorow the fire and water will be sure to be so with them when there shall be this great occasion for his assistance We are to trust in the Lord for ever and upon no account whatsoever to distrust him and despair of his mercy and succor and help Thirdly We may see that such are blessed and happy that place their Trust and confidence in Almighty God and securely rely upon him and that this will engage him the more firmly to succour and protect them at all times especielly when they most of all want his help and assistance This the Psalmist doth often assert that such are blessed that put their Trust in him Psal 2.12 saith he Blessed are all they that put their trust in him And Psal 34.8 O tast and see that the Lord is good blessed is the man that trusteth in him And Psal 40.4 Blessed is the man that maketh the Lord his trust and respecteth not the proud and such as go about with lyes In these places doth he shew how blessed and happy such men are And saith Solomon Prov. 16.20 Whoso trusteth in the Lord happy is he And saith the Prophet Jeremiah 17.7 Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord and whose hope the Lord is For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters and that spreadeth out her roots by the river and shall not see when heat cometh but her leaf shall be green and shall not be careful in the year of drought He is blessed because he shall find comfort and refreshment when an evil Time cometh and will not be so shaken and terrified with it as others are like to be And in several places do the sacred Scriptures shew what great good shall be to such as wait and rest upon God and trust in him alone Psal 31.19 saith the Psalmist O 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 And Psal 32.10 Many sorrows shall be to the wicked saith he but he that trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about And Psal 34.22 The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate And Psal 125.1 They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion which cannot he moved The Psalms we see are very full to this purpose exhorting men to trust in Almighty God and assuring them that they shall find great benefit and advantage in so doing And saith God by the Prophet complaining of the infidelity of his People towards him Is 57.13 When thou cryest let thy companies deliver thee but the wind shall carry them away vanity shall take them But he that putteth his trust in me shall possess the land and shall inherit my holy Mountain To such doth he promise the inheritance of his land and holy Mountain that make him their Rock and Trust And such as shall now trust in him in this great Day and dark Time that is coming upon us I hope will now be preserved to inherit his land here and holy Mountain This trusting in God is that which alone must afford us comfort and refreshment in the midst of all our sorrows ond miseries that befall us here And this will be sure to do it and will free us the most from all solicitous care and anxious thoughts about the Concerns of this World and set our hearts the most at rest that can be here Such is our condition here in this World that we shall always be lyable to wants and dangers and can have no other security of freedom from them The Revolutions of this World are so various and frequent and our condition here so uncertain that we must of necessity be often exposed to an indigent condition and great hazards and there is no securing our selves against them by all the humane Arts and subtilty that we can use For these are soon frustrated
understand this Almighty Power of God if we consider and call to mind the wonderful works that he hath done The stupendious Acts that he hath already done will let us understand that his Power is infinite and too great to be comprehended by our shallow capacities His works of Creation are most admirable and astonishing That he should create and form the Heaven and the Earth which is so often celebrated of him to his Honour and Glory by such as have had a true veneration for him and make all this visible World of things that did not appear and had no being That he should cause the Light to shine out of darkness and divide the day and night asunder That he should dispose the World into this beautiful order and hang the Earth upon nothing but airy Pillars That he should form and make such an innumerable number of glorious Lights above and such a vast multitude of creatures here upon Earth These are wonderful things which we may well admire and had hardly known had not God by his Spirit declared them to us The Earth though it be so vast a body and so many thousand miles about yet is managed and ordered by God's Almighty Power The Sun though a bigger body than the Earth and all other the celestial bodies though innumerable are all guided and ordered by his Omnipotent Power These are so wonderful that God might well demand as he doth of Job chap. 38.33 Knowest thou the ordinances of Heaven Canst thou set the dominion thereof in the earth He it is that hath commanded the morning of old and caused the day spring to know his place By his order and conduct the Sun ariseth and goeth down and hasteth to the place of his rising again He spreadeth out the heaven like a curtain and maketh the cloud a garment for the waters Out of whose womb but his came the ice and the hoary frost of heaven who but he hath gendered it ver 29. He causeth the Clouds to ride in the Air and at his command they water the face of the Earth The snow cometh out of his treasure and he hath made a way for the lightning and thunder The Earth is supported and upheld by his Almighty Power and he bringeth forth all trees and herbs for the service of Man and Beast And as God's Almighty Power is declared in the works of Creation and Nature which we the less admire because they are common to us so is it also shewed in his supernatural works and the miracles that he hath done He can suspend and stop the course of Nature and change and alter it as he pleaseth and often hath he done so When God hath some remarkable thing to do the Sun and Moon must wait the doing of it and stay till it be done And so we see that God stopt them in Joshua's days Josh 10.12 Sun stand thou still upon Gibeon and thou Moon in the valley of Ajalon And the Sun stood still and the Moon stayed until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies So the Sun stood still in the midst of heaven and hasted not to go down about a whole day And the Sun did not only stand still but return back too when God commanded it as we see that it did for a sign to King Hezekiah Is 38.8 So the sun returned ten degrees by which degrees it was gone down Nay farther when God the Son did suffer to shew the blackness of that Crime in putting of him to death the light thereof was wholly taken away Lu. 23.44 And it was about the sixth hour saith St. Luke and there was darkness over all the Earth until the ninth hour and the sun was darkened The wonders that God wrought in Egypt the turning of their waters into blood the hail mingled with fire and the darkness that might be felt are so many proofs of his great Power and Might When his People wanted a light he guided them by a pillar of fire And when they wanted a way he divided the Rea-sea and made the waters to stand on an heap and made them a way that they might pass through Ex. 13 and 14 chap. By his great Power he clave the hard Rock and caused waters to come forth to quench the thirst of his People and rained down Manna from Heaven for their food in the Wilderness He can restrain the rage and violence of fire and keep it from doing any harm and he preserved the three Children from being so much as scorched in the midst of a fiery furnace Dan. 3. He is a God which removeth the mountains and they know not which overturneth them in his anger which shaketh the earth out of her place and the pillars thereof tremble Job 9.5 6. He it is that killeth and maketh alive he bringeth down to the grave and raiseth up again and there is none that can deliver out of his hand as he saith Deut. 32 39. See now that I even I am he and there is no God with me I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of mine hand And saith he by the Prophet Isaiah 43.13 Yea before the day was I am he and there is none can deliver out of my hand And this Balaam the great Sooth-sayer was sensible of when he said to Balak King of Moab that sent for him to curse Israel Num 23.8 How shall I curse whom God hath not cursed Or how shall I defie whom the Lord hath not defied He shews that it was not in his power to curse or hurt till God had given way for him to do so Those whom he blesseth must be blessed and those whom he curseth must be cursed and all the power of Men and Devils cannot hinder what he will have done And Satan himself the grand Engineer of darkness could not touch Job nor his Substance till God gave him leave for the exercise and tryal of his patience Job 1 There is no protecting and saving of those whom he will destroy and there is no killing nor wounding and hurting of those that he is minded to protect and save There is no want of any power in him but he is armed with all the Power and Might that can be in all respects And seeing God hath this universal Power over all Creatures both Men and Angels and all other Creatures and is able to do such mighty works and whatsoever he pleaseth and there is no resisting of his Power And seeing this Omnipotent Power of his is Eternal and will never decay nor be diminished we may well then trust in him at all times In trusting in the Lord Jehovah we see that we do not vainly place our confidence in an impotent and helpless Deity that has no power at all to help and succour us But in trusting in him we trust in the Rock of Ages in a God that is armed with all Power and Might and to whom nothing is impossible
enter into the Kingdom of God! And the disciples were astonished at his words But Jesus answereth again and saith unto them children how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the Kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go thorow the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God By trusting in these men are like to block up the path of Life against themselves We are strictly forbid we see to trust in riches or in any worldly wealth and earthly treasure And we are also forbid to trust in an Arm of Flesh or to rely upon any humane Power We are not to place our Trust and Confidence in any Kings and Princes and great Men of the earth nor in any Armies and Naval Forces and Warlike Preparations The doing of this is sinful and evil and these will prove but weak and helpless Deities to such as rely upon them Psal 146.3 saith the Psalmist there Put not your trust in princes nor in the the son of man in whom there is no help His breath goeth forth he returneth to his earth in that very day his thoughts perish These are of a mortal and perishing nature themselves and cannot preserve themselves and much less then are they able to help and save others that rely upon them And a wo is denounced against such as trust in the help of man Is 30.1 Wo to the rebellious children saith the Lord that take counsel but not of me and that cover with a covering but not of my Spirit that they may add sin to sin That walk to go down into Egypt and have not asked at my mouth to strengthen themselves in the strength of Pharaoh and to trust in the shadow of Egypt And we may see in the verses following what help and comfort they were like to find in so doing ver 3. Therefore shall the strength of Pharaoh be your shame saith God by the Prophet and the trust in the shadow of Egypt your confusion And ver 5 They were all ashamed of a people that could not profit them nor be an help nor profit but a shame and also a reproach Here we see how we are like to speed if we trust in an Arm of Flesh and place our confidence in humane Power we must then expect nothing but shame and reproach and confusion And to this purpose Is 31.1 Wo to them that go down to Egypt for help and stay on horses and trust in chariots because they are many and in horsemen because they are very strong But they look not unto the holy One of Israel neither seek the Lord. And what the issue of such trust and confidence is like to be we may also see here ver 3 Now the Egyptians are men and not God and their horses flesh and not spirit when the Lord shall stretch out his hand both he that helpeth shall fall and he that it holpen shall fall down and they shall fail together Such disappointment must men expect from their vain confidence in all humane Force and Power And such as trust in an Arm of Flesh are cursed as God declareth by the Prophet Jeremiah 17.5 Thus saith the Lord cursed be the man that trusteth in man and maketh Flesh his Arm and whose heart departeth from the Lord. For he shall be like the heath in the desert and shall not see when good cometh but shall inhabit the parched places in the wilderness in a salt land and not inhabited Such as forsake God and trust not in his Help but place their hopes and confidence in humane Power must expect no good but sorrow and misery to attend them in so doing Nor are we to place our confidence in our wit and knowledg and strength of body c and to idolize them as the Prophet sheweth Ier. 9.23 Thus saith the Lord Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom neither let the mighty man glory in his might let not the rich man glory in his riches But let him that glorieth glory in this that he understandeth and knoweth me that I am the Lord We are not to trust in these nor in any other Idol that we may make to our selves but in the Lord Jehovah the living and true God For to trust in any thing else shews disrespect and infidelity towards him and is a derogation from his infinite Power and Goodness and is sinful and evil and in so doing we shall be miserably deluded and may expect to have our hopes and confidence frustrated and disappointed And such as shall now in this dark Time which is coming upon us betake themselves to Arms on the one hand or fall to Popery on the other hand to secure themselves I fear that such will be in great danger of perishing and losing their Lives But I hope that all those that put their trust in Almighty God and with faith and patience wait for his blessed Help and Protection will be preserved alive notwithstanding their hazard and danger is like to be very great And the more to prevail with us to do so Secondly We may see that we are often exhorted and enjoined in the sacred Scriptures to put our Trust and Confidence in Almighty God at all times and upon all accounts especially when we have the most need of Relief and Protection and that it is our duty to do so The sacred Scriptures do frequently exhort us to trust in and rely upon him and to cast all our care upon him and not to doubt of his help and assistance when we shall stand in great need of it Psal 62.7 8. saith the Psalmist In God is my Salvation and my glory the Rock of my strength and my refuge is in God Trust in him at all times ye people pour out your heart before him God is a refuge for us And Psal 115.9 O Israel trust thou in the Lord he is their help and their shield O house of Aaron trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield Ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield And in many other places in the Psalms are we exhorted to this And this is Solomon's exhortation Prov. 3.5 Trust in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding And saith the Prophet Is 50 10 Who is among you that feareth the Lord that obeyeth the voice of his servant that walketh in darkness and hath no light Let him trust in the Name of the Lord and stay upon his God In all sad and comfortless conditions are his Servants to have recourse to him and there to rest themselves secure And this we are also exhorted to and enjoined by the Gospel to cast all our care upon Almighty God and to trust securely in him 2 Cor. 1.9 But we had the sentence of death in our selves saith the Apostle that we should not trust in our selves but in God which raiseth the dead And saith
to him for succour and help He that is the Father of mercies will not then stop his ears at their cry but will then hear and help them and shew them mercy and kindness By these and such places we see that he is full of pity and compassion and takes no delight to see his People miserable but does greatly commiserate them in their distress and sorrow and is forward to help them and this will give us greater encouragement to trust and rely upon him as the Rock of our Salvation Fifthly For our greater assurance we may see that he is not only a God of love and goodnes but that he doth undertake our protection and is engaged by promise to succor and help us in all our troubles and distressed conditions if we serve him and obey him as we ought and therefore we have the greatest reason of all to trust and confide in him at all times He is a God of truth and faithful in all his promises and he hath promised that he will always watch over us and take great care to preserve and keep us and therefore we have no reason to doubt of his protection and help if we faithfully serve him as we should This Balaam declared that God was true and faithfull and would make good what he had promised Num. 23.19 God saith he is not a man that he should ly neither the son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good And St. Paul declareth the same to Titus Tit. 1.2 In hope of eternal life which God that cannot ly promised before the world began And saith Moses Deut. 7.9 Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations He is a God of veracity and truth and will not fail to make good his promises And he hath promised that he will never fail nor forsake all such as fear him and keep his sacred Commandments This Moses told the Children of Israel when they were to encounter and engage with their enemies Deut. 31.6 Be strong and of a good courage saith he fear not nor be afraid of them for the Lord thy God he it is that doth go with thee he will not fail thee nor forsake thee And saith the Apostle Heb. 13.5 For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee And this is God's command that we should call upon him in the time of trouble and he doth promise that he will then deliver us Psal 50.15 And call upon me in the day of trouble I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorify me And God doth give his People great assurance of his Help and Protection in all times of need and danger by the Prophet Isaiah Is 43.2 saith he When thou passest thorow the waters I will be with thee and thorow the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest thorow the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee For I am the Lord thy God the holy One of Israel This great and gracious promise doth God make to his People of being their mighty Protector and Saviour in all great and eminent dangers And saith he again by the Prophet Is 54.16 Behold I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire and that bringeth forth an instrument for his work and I have created the waster to destroy No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn Both the weapons of War and the waster that destroys are at God's command and shall not prevail farther than he gives them leave And he doth promise that they shall not prosper so far as to destroy his Church and Servants though he may sometimes let wicked men put some of his Servants to death for a testimony of the Truth with whom he will then be in an extraordinary manner by his Grace and Spirit that they shall in a manner even then triumph over them And saith our Saviour Matt. 28.20 And lo I am with you alway even unto the end of the world Amen And we may be sure that he will be with us according to our needs and in an extraordinary manner when there is extraordinary occasion for it By these and such places we see that God doth undertake our protection and doth promise to help and defend us in all our straits and dangers And a watchful care hath he over us at all times as we have seen before 2 Chr. 16.9 For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro thorow out the whole earth saith Hanani the Seer to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect towards him And saith the Psalmist Psal 121.3 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 The Lord is thy keeper the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand He continually watches over such as fear him and is never unmindful and regardless of them And how exceedingly his mind is bent towards them and how much his heart is set upon them he sheweth by the Prophet Isaiah 49.15 Can a woman forget her sucking child saith he that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb Yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee So mindful and careful will he be of all his faithful Servants And his Angels shall watch about such as the Psalmist affirmeth Psal 34.7 The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him and delivereth them With such a watchful Gard are they always encompassed and protected And to shew the exquisite care of God concerning all things and even the smallest matters that belong to us our Saviour hath told us that the very hairs of our heads are numbered Matt. 10.30 But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered Fear ye not therefore A due regard is had even to the smallest matters that belong to us And the Apostle doth shew that nothing can separate us from the love of God if we do it not by our own wickedness Rom. 8.38 For I am persuaded saith he that neither death nor life nor Angels nor Principalities nor Powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. We are assured of God's truth and faithfulness and we see that he hath engaged and promised to be our Protector and Helper in all our necessities and dangers and that he doth continually watch over us and mind us and therefore there is no reason to doubt of his Almighty aid and help in all our needs and dangers whatsoever if we are careful to