against all the troubles of tliis life. Noah's sanctity was Noah's safety in the midst of a deluge : and Lot's piety was Lot's security in the day of Sodom's ruin and misery : and the three children's innocency was a waU of fire about them in the midst of the fiery furnace : i and David's integrity was a shield and buckler against Saul's rage and cruelty. So in Pro v. xiii. 6, ' Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way : but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.' There is no guard, no protection against troubles and dangers, to that of righteousness. Righteousness and holiness is the most puissant army, and the strongest tower of defence against all hazards and enemies. The Hebrew word that is here rendered keepeth, is from natsar, that signifieth to keep with the greatest care, diligence, and vigilancy that can be ; it signifies to preserve and keep, as a man would preserve and keep the apple of his eye, which is the chiefest and the tender est piece of the tenderest part, Deut. xxxii, 14 ; and it signifies to keep, as a man would keep ammunition and provision from fire, or from treacherous hands, when a powerful and enraged enemy is drawing near, Nah. ii. 1. Why, says he, look how careful and diligent, &c., men are to keep and preserve those things that are most near and dear unto them, and that are most highly prized and valued by them ; so will righteousness and holiness preserve and keep the righteous man in times of trouble and danger. So in Ezek. xiv. 14, 20, ' Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord. Though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter ; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.' ^ These three, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were very holy men, they had great interest in God, and were very prevalent with God. But the decree being gone forth, they could not prevail with God for others ; yet their righteousness should be their own perservation, safety, and security, in days of calamity and misery. So in Isa. xxxiii. 15, 16, ' He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly, he that despiseth the" gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing of evil, he shall dwell on high ; his place of defence shall be the munition of rocks, bread shall be given him, his waters shall be sure.' Let us dive a little into this admirable promise: 'He shall dwell on high;' but rather as the Hebrew hath it, ' He shall dwell on heights.' If the holy man were among his enemies, he might be in danger, but he shall dwell on heights, on many heights, and many ascents, he shall be out of harm's way, out of gun-shot, he shall be above the reach of danger. Oh! but his enemies may raise up mounts, and so get as high as he is. Well, grant that, but yet they shall not hurt him ; for he is in a place of defence. Oh! but though he be in a place of defence, yet his defence is not so strong but it may be broken down and destroyed. No, not so, for his place of defence shall be the munitions
^ They walked up and down in the fiery furnace, as a man walks up and down in a pleasant garden.
^ Saints may prevail with God for themselves, when they cannot prevail with him for others.
178 THE NECESSITY, EXCELLENCY, RARITY, [HeB. XII. 14.
of rocks ; many rocks, and many munitions of rocks, shall be the place of his defence ; and therefore his defence is impregnable and invincible. Oh ! but though his defence be munitions of rocks, yet he may be famished, he may be starved out, for rocks are barren places, and there is no ploughing and sowing upon rocks. No, he shall not be starved nor famished out of his strong place of defence ; for bread shall be given him, God will spread a table for him. Oh ! but though he hath bread, yet he may perish for want of water ; for he hath no faith, skill, nor power to fetch water out of a rock : Moses had not, and he hath not, and therefore he may be forced to deliver up his place of defence for water to quench his thirst, as king Lysimachus and others have done.^- No, not so, for he shall have water too. Ohl but his water may be spent, his water will not always last, his well, as well as Hagar's bottle, may be dry, his pipes may be cut off, or the water that now supplies him may be turned another way. No, not so, for his water shall be sure. Oh ! the safety and security of holy men ! Plutarch, in the life of Alexander, tells us, that when he came to besiege the Sogdians, a people who dwelt upon a rock, or such as had the munition of rocks for their defence, they jeered him, and asked him whether his soldiers had wings or not ; for, said they, except your soldiers can fly in the air, we fear you not. Such is the safety of God's holy ones, that they need not to fear. There are no ladders long enough to scale their place of defence, nor no artillery or engine strong enough to batter down their munitions of rocks. There is an apologue how the dove made moan to her fellow-birds of the tyranny of the hawk ; one counsels her to keep below ; but saith another, the hawk can stoop for his prey ; another advised her to soar aloft ; but saith another, the hawk can mount as high as she ; another wished her to shroud herself in the woods, for there she should be secure ; but saith another, alas ! there is the hawk's manor, the place where he keeps court ; another bids her keep the town ; but saith another, that is to become a prey to man ; but at last one bids her rest herself in the holes of the rock, and there she should certainly be safe, for violence itself could not surprise her there, and there she was safe. Dove-hke saints, they have their munitions of rocks to fly to, and there they shall be safe. 0 sirs 1 there is no breastplate to that of right- eousness, there is no armour of proof, no munitions of rocks, to that of holiness. Noah's holiness was an ark to save him, when Nimrod's Tower of Babel, which was raised five thousand one hundred forty- six paces high, could not secure him. 2 And therefore as you tender your own safety and security in times of trouble and calamity, oh, labour to be holy.
[4.] Fourthly, By holiness you will gain deliverance from death in death : Prov. xi. 4, ' Kiches profit not in the day of wrath : but right- eousness delivereth from death ;' and chap. x. 2, 'Treasures of wicked- ness profit nothing, but righteousness delivereth from death.' Many treasuries of the most precious jewels that be in the world cannot ward off a blow, a disease, a sickness in the day of God's wrath. It is not the crown of gold that can cure the headache; nor the golden sceptre that can cure the palsied hand ; nor the necklace of pearl that
* As before.— G. » Hejlin. Cosm., lib. iii.
HeB. XII. 14.] AND BEAUTY OF HOLINESS. 179