Thirdly, The covenant engageth God's almighty power. Gen. xvii. 1 : ' I am the Almighty God, walk before me.' There is a league offensive and defensive between God and his saints; he gives it under his hand, that he will put forth the whole power of his godhead for them, 1 Chron. xvii. 24 : ' The Lord of hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel.' God doth not parcel himself out by retail, but gives his saints leave to challenge whatever God hath as theirs ; and let him, whoever he is, sit in God's throne, and take away his crown, that can fasten any untruth on the Holy One ; as his name is, so his nature, a God keeping covenant for ever. The promises stand as the mountains about Jeru- salem, never to be removed ; the weak as well as the strong Christian is within this line of communication. Were saints to fight it out in open field, by the strength of their own grace, then the strong were more likely. to stand, and the weak to fall in battle ; but both, castled in the covenant, are alike safe.
Fourtlily, The saints' dependence on God, and expectation from God in all their straits, oblige this power for their succour : whither doth a gracious soul fly in any want or danger from sin, Satan, or his instruments, but to his God ? as naturally as the coney to her burrow, Psa. Ivii. 3. 'At what time I am afraid,' saith David, ' I will trust in thee :' he tells God he will make bold of his house to step into, when taken in any storm ; and doth not question his welcome. Thus when Saul hunted him, he left a city of gates and bars, to trust God in open field. Indeed, all the saints are taught the same lesson ; to renounce their own strength, and rely on the power of God ; their own policy, and cast them- selves on the wisdom of God ; their own righteousness, and expect all from the pure mercy of God in Christ; which act of faith is so pleasing to God, that such a soul shall never be ashamed, Psa. ix. 18. ' The expectation of the poor shall not perish.' A heathen could say, when a bii'd, scared by a hawk, flew into his bosom, I will not betray thee unto thy enemy, seeing thou comest for sanctuary unto me. How much less will God yield up a soul unto its enemy, when it takes sanctuary in his name, saying, Loi'd, I am hunted with such a temptation, dogged with such a lust; either thou must pardon it, or I am damned; mortify it, or I shall be a slave to it; take me into the bosom of thy love, for Christ's sake; castle me in the arms of thy everlasting strength; it is in thy power to save me from, or give me up into the hands of my enemy ; I have no confidence in myself or any other, into thy hands I commit my cause, myself, andrely on thee. This dependence of a soul undoubtedly will awaken the almighty power of God for such a one's defence. He hath sworn the greatest oath that can come out of his blessed lips, even by himself, that such as thus fly for refuge to hope in him, shall have strong consolation, Heb. vi. 17. This indeed may give the saint the greater boldness of faith to expect kind entertainment, when he repairs to God for refuge, because he cannot come before he is looked for ; God having set up his name and promises as a strong tower, both calls his people into these chambers, and expects they shoidd betake themselves thither.
Fifthly, Christ's presence and employment in heaven lays a strong engage- ment on God to bring his whole force and power into the field, upon all occasions, for his saints' defence; one special end of his journey to heaven, and abode there, is, that he might, as the saints' solicitor, be ever interceding for such supplies and succours of his Father, as their exigencies call for ; and the more to assure us of the same before he went, he did, as it were, tell us, what heads he meant to go upon in his intercession when he should come there; one of which was this, that his Father should keep his children, while they were to stay in the world, from the evil thereof, John xvii. 15. Neither doth Cln-ist take upon him this work of his own head, but hath the same appointment of his Father, for what he now prays in
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