6. Lastly, The care of God is engaged to carry his people safe through all the dangers of the way, and bring them all home to glory at last, John x. 28. " I give unto them eternal life, and they " shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my " hand." This care of God, thus engaged for you, is your convoy to accompany and secure you, till it set you safe into your harbour of eternal rest.
(2.) You have heard how the care of God is engaged for you by promise ; now see how it actuates and exerts itself for the peo- ple of God in the vaiious methods of providence ; and here, O here is the sweetest pleasure of the Christian life, a delight far transcending all the delights of this life. Sit down Christian in
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this chamber also, and make but such observations upon the care of thy God as follow ; and then tell me whether the world, with all its pleasures and delights, can give thee such anotlier entertain- ment.
1. Reflect upon the constant, sweet, and suitable provisions, that from time to time have been prepared for thee and thine, by this care of thy God ; for whensoever thy wants did come, I am sure from hence came thy supplies, it hath enabled thee to return the same answer the disciples did to that question, Luke xxii. 35. " Lacked " ye any thing .?" And they said, Nothing.
2. Reflect with admiration upon the various difliculties of vour lives, wherein your thoughts have been entangled, and out of which you have been extricated and delivered by the care of God over you ; how oft have your thoughts been like a ravelled skaine of silk, so entangled and perplexed with the difficulties and fears be- fore you, that you could find no end, but the longer you thought, the more you were puzzled, till you have left thinking and fell to praying ; and there you have found the right end to wind up all your thoughts upon the bottom of peace and sweet contentment, according to that direction, Psal. xxxvii. 5. " Commit thy way unto " the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass."
3. Observe with a melting heart, how the care of thy God hath disposed and directed thy Avay to unforeseen advantages : Had he not ordered thy steps when, and as he did, thou hadst not been in possession of those temporal and spiritual mercies that sweeten thy life at this day. Surely the steps of good men are ordered by the Lord : and as for thee. Christian, what reason hast thou, with an heart overflowing with love and thankfulness, to look up and say, Ml/ Father^ thou ar't the guide of my youth? It is sweet to live ty faith upon Divine care. O what a serene life might we live, care- ful for nothing, but making known our requests unto God in every thing, Phil. iv. 6. casting all our care on him that careth for us, 1 Pet. V. 7. perplexing our thoughts about nothing, but rolling every burden upon God by faith. Thus lived holy Musculus, when reduced to extreme poverty, and danger at the same time ; then it was that he solaced his soul with that comfortable distich, a good lesson for others;
Est Deus in ccelis, qui providus omnia curat, Credentes nusquam deseruisse potest.
That is, There is a God above, who, as he provides for, and takes care of all, can never forsake those that believe in him.
The provident care of his heavenly Father made his heart as quiet as the child at the breast. Christian, thou knowest not what distressful days are coming upon the earth, nor what per^
392 THE RIGHTEOUS MAn's BEFUGE.
sonal trials shall befal thee in this world ; but I advise thee, as thou vainest the tranquillity and comfort of thy life, shut up thyself by faith in this chamber of Divine care ; it is thy best security in this world : Reflect frequently and thankfully upon the manifold sup- ports, supplies, and salvations thou hast already had from this fountain of mercies, and be not discouraged at new difficulties. When an eminent Christian was told of some that way-laid him to destroy him, his answer was, Si Deus met cur am non habet, quid vivo? In like manner thou may est say, if God had not taken care for thee ; how couldst thou have lived till now ? how couldst thou have over-lived so many troubles, fears, and dangers as thou hast done?
Opening the sixth and last chamber^ viz. The love ofGod^ as a resting-place to beUevi?ig souls in evil times.
Sect. I. JL hough all the attributes in the name or chambers of this house of God are glorious and excellent, yet this of love is transcendently glorious : Of this room it may be said as it was of Solomon's royal chariot, Cant. iii. 10. " The midst thereof is paved with love." In this attribute' the glory of God is signally and eminently manifested, 1 John iv. 9, 10. And upon this foundation the hopes and comforts of all believers are built and founded, Rom. viii. 35. " Who shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall " tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or " peril, or sword ?'^ He defies and despises them all, because neither of them alone, nor altogether by their united strength, can unclasp the arms of Divine love, in which belivers are safely enfolded. In this attribute God's people, by faith, entrench themselves, and of it a believer saith, Hie murus aheneus esto, this shall be my strong- hold and fortress in the day of trouble. And well may we so esteem and reckon it, if we consider,
1. That wherever the special love of God goes, there the special presence of God goes also, John xiv. 23. " He shall be loved of my " Father, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with ** him." And O how secure and safe must those be (however times govern) with whom God himself maketh his abode ? For as the Psalmist speaks, Psal. xci. 1. *' He that dwells in the secret " place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the •* Almighty." And he that is over-shadowed by an Almighty
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power, need not fear how many mighty enemies combine against him.
2. Wherever the special love of God is placed, that person be- comes precious and highly valuable in the eyes of God ; he appre- ciates and estimates such a man as his peculiar treasure, which naturally and necessarily draws and spreads the wing of Divine care over him for his protection, Deut. xxiii. 12. " The beloved of the " Lord shall dwell in safety by him, and the Lord shall cover him " all the day long." Things of greatest value are always kept in safest custody.
3. Upon whomsoever the special love of God is set, there all events and issues of troubles are sure to be over-ruled to the eter- nal advantage of that soul, Rom. viii. 28. Which consideration alone is sufficient to unsting all the troubles in the world, and make the beloved of the Lord shout and triumph in the midst of tribulations.