(2.) WHiat the event hereupon was. Wliy God helped him to all he had again ; ver. 19., " There was nothing lacking to them, nei- ther small nor great, neither sons nor daughters ; neither spoil, nor any thing they had taken : David recovered all." Hence note, that a Christian when he hath lost all, hath yet a God to go to at last. Whilst a Christian hath a God to go to, his case is never desperate ; let him but encourage himself in his God, and all will be recover- ed. Sinners, triumph not over the poor people of God. When they are at their worst, — when they are brought as low as your pride and malice can lay them, — though they should be stript naked, and left destitute of all their comforts, — though all the world should ride on their backs, and tread on their necks, yet rejoice not against them ; though they fall they shall arise ; when they are at their worst, there is still help for them in their God.
3. The presence of the Lord shall be with them. Whithersoever they may be scatter- ed, they shall not be scattered from their God. That promise maile to Moses, Exod. xxxiii. 14., " My presence shall go with thee," belongs to all the Israel of (iod. " My presence;" in the original, 'tis, " my face ;' in the Septuagint, " myself shall go mth thee."
The presence of God is either general, or special.
Bv his general presence, he is every where,
1. Per essentia/n, he fills all things.
6C2
SELECT SERMONS.
2. Per cognitionem, Le beholds all things.
3. Per sustentationem, he upholds all things.
4. Per dominium^ he governs all things. But to let this pass, as not so proper to
our purpose.
2. There is his special or gracious pre- sence, whereby he manifests himself to be with his people.
(1.) In some visible and standing tokens of his presence ; as in those extraordinary, the pillars of the cloud and of the fire ; and in those ordinary, the ark and the temple of old, and the ordinances of the gospel now.
(2.) In some inward influences and irra- diations upon the heart of liis people.
(3.) In some visible and signal effects of his presence ; whereof there are very many. There are, amongst others, these two notable effects of God's gracious pre- sence, which his people, by virtue of this promise, may witli confidence expect, — con- duction, covering. They shall be led in their way ; and they shall be hid in their way.
l5^, Conduction. The Lord will be witli them, to lead them and guide them in the way that they should go, Ps. xxv. 9., " The meek will he guide in judgment, the meek will he teach his way." Ps. cvii. 7., " He led them forth by the right way, tl»at tliey might go to a city of Iiabitation." Ps. v. 8., *' Lead me, O Lord, in tliy righteousness, because of mine enemies ; muke thy way straight before my face." Tlie Lord leads his people in tlu>ir way, chiefly by his word, which is a liglit to their feet, and a lantern to their paths; pnd sometimes also by liis providences, hedging up all by-ways, and leaving but one way open to them, that hath the least appearance of the way of God ; so ordering the matter, that any other way that-is before them, looks with too foul a face to leave any doubt ujmn them, whe- ther that be the way of God or not. It is never uncomfortable to the people of God, while they see their way before them ; doubts about their way, are more perplex- ing than dangers in their M'Jiy. When they know what God would have them do, they can cheerfully trust him for any thing they are like to suffer. Dost thou meet with wolves or lions in thy way ? thou may-
est bless God it is there thou meetest them, it would be ill meeting them elsewhere.