Domitian, the author of the second persecution against the Chris- tians, having drawn a catalogue of the names of such as he was to kill, in which was the name of his own wife and other friends ; upon which
^ History of the Couneil of Trent, page 417.
472 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD
he was, by the consent of his wife, slain by his own household servants with daggers in his privy-chamber. His body was buried without honour, his memory cursed to posterity, and his arms and ensigns were thrown down and defaced. Julian vowed to make a sacrifice of the Christians upon his return from the wars ; but, in a battle against the Persians, he was deadly wounded, and throwing his blood in the air, in a high contempt of Christ, he died with that desperate blas- phemous expression in his mouth, Vicisti tandem, Galilcee, ' Thou Galilean hast overcome me.'
Felix, Earl of Wurtemberg, was a great persecutor of the saints, and did swear that ere he died he would ride up to the spurs in the blood of the Lutherans ; but the very same night, wherein he had thus sworn and vowed, he was choked in his own blood.
The judgments of God were so famous and frequent upon the per- secutors of the saints in Bohemia, that it was used as' a proverb among the adversaries themselves, that if any man were weary of his life let him but attempt against the Piccardines — so they called the Chris- tians— and he should not live a year to an end. By these short hints you may see that all along God has made good that word that is more worth than a world, ' Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee ; and the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain ' — Hebrew, ' Shalt thou gird,' that is, curb, and keep within compass ; or as the Greek hath it, ' It shall keep holiday to thee,' that is, cease from working or acting outwardly, how restless soever it be within, i ' The remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain,' that is, those that are left alive of thy wrathful enemies, that have still any malice against thy people, thou wilt curb and restrain, and not suffer their wrath to be so great as formerly ; or if they go about to recruit their forces, and to set again upon thy people, thou wilt set such bounds to their wrath that they shall not accomplish their desires, nor shall they proceed one step further than shall make signally for thy glory and thy people's good ; so some carry the words. The more eager and furious the enemies are against God's people, the more honour and glory wUl God get in protecting and securing his people, and in girding, binding, and tying up their enemies. Were it not for this favourable, signal, and eminent pre- sence of God with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, wicked men would still be a-multiplying of their sorrows, increasing their troubles, and adding of burden to burden. It is this favourable presence of God that binds wicked men over to their good behaviour, and that chains them up from doing that mischief that they design and intend. But,
(5.) Fifthly, The Lord does manifest his favourable, signal, and eminent presence with his people, in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, hy guiding and leading them into those paths and waves which make most for their oivn peace and quiet, safety and security, contentation and satisfaction, happiness here, and blessedness hereafter, ^xod. xii. 21,22; Isa. Ixiii. 12-14; Ps. v. 8. Dent, xxxii. 10, ' He found me in a desert land, and in the waste howling wilderness ; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him
^ Ps. Ixxvi. 10 — Hebrew, 'Gird,' that is, keep it within compass as with a girdle.
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GKEATEST TROUBLES. 473
as the apple of his eye.' i A wilderness-condition is, you know, a con- dition of straits, wants, deep distresses, and most deadly dangers. Now when his people were in this condition he instructs them by his words and works, and he takes them by the hand, as I may say, and leads them with all care, tenderness, gentleness, and sweetness, as a man would do a poor helpless infant, which he should find in a desert, in a waste howling wilderness. God never left leading of his people till he had brought them at last through the wilderness to the land of Canaan. Ah ! this leading presence of God turns a wilderness into a paradise, a desert into a Canaan. Let a Christian's troubles, distresses, and dangers, be never so many or never so great, yet as long as he has the guiding presence of God with him, he is safe from dangers in the midst of dangers. ' The fire shall not burn him, nor the waters overflow him,' Isa. xliii. 2 : Ps. cvii. 4, ' They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way ; they found no city to dwell in : ' ver. 5, ' Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them : ' ver. 6, * Then they cried unto the Lord in their troubles, and he delivered them out of their distresses.' Here you see their great troubles, deep distresses, and most deadly dangers ; and now God gives them his hand, ver. 7, ' And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation ;' that is, to a state of settlement, say some, to Jerusalem, say others, or to that ' city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God,' saith another, Heb. xi. 10. In tliat 32d Psalm you may see David's great troubles, deep distresses, and most deadly dangers : ver. 3, ' When I kept silence, my bones waxed old, through my roaring all the day long : ' ver. 4, ' For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me : my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.' But will God be his guide now ? Oh yes, ver. 8, ' I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go : I will guide thee with mine eye.' Let the hand of the Lord be never so heavy upon a person, yet the presence of God guiding and instructing of him will keep him from utter fainting and sinking under that hand, Isa. xxx. 21 ; Ps. Ixxiii. 24. When the people of God are in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, he leads and guides them, Ps. xxv. 9, 12, and v. 8. [1.] Into super- natural ways : Prov. xv. 24, * The way of life is above to the wise.' He hath his feet where other men's heads are, and, like a heavenly eagle, delights himself in flying high. [2.] Into good ways, Jer. vi. 16. [3.] Into strait and strict ways. Mat. vii. 14. Hence they are called right or straight paths which lie betwixt two extremes ; or, if you will, which directly lead you to the view of heaven. They are paths which lie level with the rule and with the end. A man may see salvation and heaven at the end of them. [4.] Into pleasant ways : Prov. iii. 17, ' Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.' Such as were those of Adam before his fall, strewed w'ith roses and paved with peace. Some degree of comfort, pleasant- ness, and peace, follows every good action, as heat accompanies fire, as