(9.) Ninthly, The Lord doth manifest his favourable, signal, and eminent presence with 'his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, by his sympathising with them in all their troubles, trials, distresses, dangers, as you may clearly see hy consulting the choice scrijytiires in the margin.'^ So Isa. Ixiii. 9, 'In all their afflictions he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them : in his love and in his pity he redeemed them ; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old.' Christ is here in the Hebrew called ' the angel of his face,' either because he doth exactly
' Counsel is the extract of reason, the result of serious and sad debates, saith Cicero. ^ Exod. ii. 23-25, and iii. 7-10 ; Isa. xxxvii. 28, 29 ; Ezek. xxxv. 7-10; Mat. ixv. 4, seq.; i)cut. xxxii. 9-11; John xiv. 9, 10; Col. i. 15; Heb. ix. 2i ; Rom. viii. 34.
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 489
resemble God his Father, or because he appeareth before the face or in the presence of God for us. This angel took to heart their afflic- tions, he was himself grieved for them and with them. This angel secured and safeguarded them all the way through the wilderness, from Egypt to Canaan. This angel did not only lead them, but he also lifted them up and took them in his arms, as parents or nurses are wont to do with such children that are young and weakly and in danger. And this angel carried them, as the eagle doth her young ones, that are not fully fledged, or that are unable yet to fly, on her wings. Oh the pity, the clemency, the sympathy, and admirable com- passion of Christ to his people in their suffering state ! Zech. ii. 8, ' He that toucheth you, toucheth the apple of his eye.' The eye is the tenderest piece of the tenderest part. The eye is kept most diligently, and strongly guarded by nature with five tunicles. A man can better bear a thump on the back, the biting of his finger, the cutting of his hand, the pricking of his leg, or a blow upon his arm, than a touch on the eye. Oh that persecutors would be quiet, and let God's people alone, and take heed how they meddle with God's eyes.i There is no touching of them, to wrong or injure them, but you wrong and injure the Holy One of Israel, who will certainly revenge himself upon you. They that strike at God's eyes, do through them strike at God him- self, which he will never put up. It is a dangerous thing to molest and trouble, to afflict or annoy the people of God ; for God himself is very sensible of it, and accordingly he will certainly requite it. Acts ix. 4, ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? ' They that persecute the servants of Christ, they persecute Christ himself, who liveth in them, and is mystically united to them. Look, as there is by virtue of the natural union a mutual sympathy betwixt the head and the members, the husband and the wife, so it is here betwixt Christ and his saints, for he is a most sympathising, compassionate, tender-hearted Saviour, Heb. iv. 15, and v. 2; Col. i. 24; Heb. xiii. 13; Isa. liii. 4. Those that shoot at the saints, hit Christ ; their sufferings are held his, and their reproaches are counted his. He that bore the saints' griefs when he was on earth, really and properly, he bears them still now he is in heaven, in a way of sympathy. Christ in his glorified state hath a very tender sense of all the evil that is done to his chil- dren, his members, his spouse, and looks upon it as done to himself. A great lord said to another great lord of the council, in king Henry the Eighth's days, concerning Cranmer, ' Let him alone, for the king will not suffer his finger to ache.' So say I to the persecutors of the day. Let the people of God alone, for if you do but make their finger ache, God will make your heads and hearts ache for it before he has done with you. 2 But,
(10.) Tenthly, The Lord doth manifest his favourable, signal, and eminent presence with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, by pouring out upon them a greater spirit of prayer and supplication in their greatest troubles^
^ Ishon of loh ; it is here called Bath, the daughter of the eye, because it is as dear to a muu as an only daughter. Oculus tl favia non jiatiuntur jocos, The eye and the good name will endure no jests.
* See the first part of my ' Golden Key,' pp. 277-279, more of this. [The present volume, pp. 19;j-iy5. — G.j
490 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD