1. To uphold and support them when their own strength fails, Isa. xli. 10. " Fear thou not, 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.'' And which of the saints have not sensibly felt these everlasting arms 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 weakness ;" i. e. It is made known in thy weakness. Our weakness adds nothing to God's power, it doth not make his power perfect, but it hath the better advantage of its discovery, and puts forth itself more signally and conspicuously in our weak- ness ; as the stars which never shine so gloriously as in the darkest night.
2. To preserve them in all their dangers, to which they lie ex- posed in soul and body, 1 Pet. i. 5. " You are kept (saith the " apostle by the mighty power of God.'' Kept as in a garrison ; this is their arm every morning, as it is Isa. xxxiii. 2. " O Lord " be gracious unto us, we have waited for thee, be thou their arm " every morning, our salvation also in the time of trouble." The arm is that member which is fitted for the defence of the body, and for that end so placed by the God of nature, that it may guard every part above and below it; but as good they were bound behind our backs, for any help they can give us in some cases : It is God's arm that defends us and not our own. This invisible power of God makes the saints the world's wonder. Psal. Ixxi. 7. " I am as a wonder to many, but thou art my strong " refuge." To see the poor defenceless creatures preserved in the midst of furious enemies, that is just matter of wonder; but God being their invisible refuge, that solves the wonder ; to this end the power of God is by promise engaged to his people, Isa,
xxvii. 3. " T the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment, " lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." And thus they subsist in the midst of dangers and troubles ; as the burning bush (the emblem of the church) did amidst the devouring flames, Exod. iii. 3.
3. To deliver them out of their distresses ; so runs the promise, Psal. xci. 14, 15. " Because he hath set his love upon me, there- " fore 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 great, so that " none is like it : It is even the time of Jacob's trouble; but ye " shall be saved out of it." And surely there can be no distress so great, no case of believers so forlorn, but,
1. It is easy with God to save 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 cause you to " come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel." And he doth whatever he doth easily, with a word, Psal. xliv. 4. " Thou art my king, O God, command deliverances for Jacob." And it requireth no more violent motion to do it, than he that swimmeth in the water uses, Isa. xxv. 11. A gentle easy motion of the hand doth it.
2. And as the power of God can deliver them easily, so speedily. Their deliverance is often wrought by way of surprizal. Isa. xvii. 14. " Behold, at evening-tide, trouble, and in the morning he is *' not."" So the church prays, in Psal. cxxxvi. 14. " Turn again " our captivity as the streams in the south." The southern coun- tries are dry, the streams there come not in a gentle and slow cur- rent, but being occasioned by violent sudden spouts of rain, they presently overflow the country, and as soon retire : So speedily can the power of God free his people from their dangers and fears.
3. Yea, such is the excellency of his delivering power, that he can save alone, without any contribution of creature-aids. So Isa. lix. 16. " He wondered that there was no intercessor; therefore his ** hand brought salvation unto him, and his righteousness 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 of God, but he hath no need of us : he uses instruments, but not out of necessity, his arm alone can save us, be the danger never so great, or the visible means of deliverance 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 arid se- cure the people of God in all their dangers. It is said, 2 Chron.
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xvi. <). " The eyes of the Lord run to and fro tliroilgliout tlie " whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose " lieart is perfect towards him." Where you have an excellent account oi^ the immediacy, universality, and efficacy of Divine Pro- vidence, as it uses and applies this Divine Power for the guard and defence of that people who are its charge ; he doth not only set angels to watch for them, but his own eyes guard them, even those seven eyes of providence mentioned, Zech. iii. 9- wliich riever sleep 7ior slumber ; for they are said to run continually to and fro, and that not in this or that particular place only, for the service of some more eminent and excellent persons ; but through the whole earth. It is an encompassing and surrounding providence which hath its eye upon all whose hearts are upright ; all the saints are within the line of its care and protection ; the eye of providence discovereth all their dangers, and its arm defends them, for he shews himself strong in their behalf