A gracious spirit is raised by opposition. The more opposition it meets with in a way of duty, the more resolute he is for it. So far is he from being afraid of the threatenings of men, of the frowns of men, or of losing this man's favour, or of incurring such a man's displeasure, that his spirit riseth far more for it. It is with such a man as it is with the fire in winter. The fire burns the hotter because of the cold- ness of the air ; so it is with all the messengers of the Lord, who are inflamed in the way of their duty. Come to David, and tell him. Oh, there is a Goliath, and he is come out with a spear like a weaver's beam, and there is one that bears his target goes before him ! Where is he ? saith David ; I will fight with him, saith he, [1 Sam. xvii. 4- 11, compared with ver. 26, 27.] Difficulties and dangers do but whet and raise his spirit ; he is not afraid of any uncircumcised Philistine. Ah, my friends, this is a true noble spirit ! Holy greatness of mind lies in this, when a man's spirit is borne up upon the greatness of his God, and the goodness of his cause ; and if that will not bear me out, saith such a soul, let me sink in it, I am content to perish. That is a good word, more worth than a world in a faithful minister's eye : Ezek. iii. 8, ' Behold, I have made thy face strong against their faces, and thy forehead strong against their foreheads;' ver. 9, 'As an adamant, harder than a flint, have I made thy forehead ; fear them
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 483
not, neitber be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house.' The adamant is the hardest of stones, it is lapis servahilis, because it keeps itself by its hardness from all injuries ; no weather, no violence of hammer or fire will break it or conquer it. God en- gages himself to give the prophet such undaunted boldness, and invin- cible courage and constancy, as neither shame nor fear should prevail against. Divine presence, divine assistance, does always accompany a divine call. Such whom God sends he seconds, such whom he calls he encourages against all difficulties and discouragements ; such as are called by Christ, and sent by Christ, shall never want the strengthening, comforting, corroborating, animating, and preserving presence of Christ. It is this divine presence that makes them stand it out, and shew them- selves like men — like men of courage, like men of God, and that secures them from dangers in the midst of dangers. In the greatest storms the adamant shrinks not, it fears not, it changeth not its hue, no, not in the least. Divine presence will keep gracious men from shrinking, fear- ing, and changing their way, their work, their Lord, and Master, in the worst of storms that can beat upon them. In all winds and weather the adamant is still the same, and so will all the faithful messengers of the Lord be, whatever wind may blow upon them. The signal presence of God with them will keep them from fearing, fainting, flying, and preserve them from dangers in the midst of dangers. But, (8.) Eighthly, The Lord doth manifest his favourable, signal, and eminent presence with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, hy frv^trating and disappointing the plots, designs, counsels, and contrivances of their powerful, subtle, secret, and malicious adversaries, luho would fain he multiplying of their trotibles, sorroivs, sufferings, and miseries upon them : Neh. iv. 8, ' And conspired all of them together to come and fight against Jerusalem, and to hinder it.' Ver. 11, 'And our adversaries said, They shall not know, neither see, till we come in the midst amongst them, and slay them, and cause the work to cease.' Ver. 15, ' And it came to pass, when our enemies knew that it was known unto us, and God had brought their counsels to nought,' &c.i The craft of the church's enemies is never but accompanied with cruelty, and their cruelty is seldom without craft. The devil lends them his seven heads to plot, and his seven horns to push ; but in the things wherein they deal proudly, God is above them, and by his presence with his people he brings all their plots, counsels, and enterprises to nought. The gunpowder traitors betrayed themselves, and all came to light, though they had digged as low as hell to hide their counsels from the Lord. The enemies of the Jews, in Nehemiah's time, made great brags at first what they would do ; but when they saw their plots dis- covered, and their purposes defeated, they are presently crestfallen, and have no mind nor courage to advance at all ; so that to these plotters may be fitly applied that which Guicciardini saith of Charles the Eighth, king of France, in his expedition against Naples, ' That he came into the field like thunder and lightning, but went out like a
^ The Thebans had a band of men they called sacra cohors, consisting of such only as were joined in bonds of love, and resolved to live and die together. These Jews under Nehemiah's command were such, and were therefore insuperable.
484 THE SIGNAL PEESENCE OF GOD