the wine of Lebanon : ' Mai. iv. 2, ' But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing under his wings ; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as the calves of the stall : ' Ps. i. 3, ' He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season : his leaf also shall not wither ; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper : ' John iv. 14, ' Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.' The light and glory of the church rises by degrees ; (1.) Looking forth as the morning ; with a little light ; (2.) Fair as the moon ; more light; (3.) Clear as the sun ; that is, come up to a higher degree of spiritual light, life, and glory, Cant. vi. 10. By all which it is most evident that all the powers of hell, nor all the powers on earth, cannot hinder the saints' growth in grace, nor the thriving and flourish- ing estate of their precious and immortal souls.
But you will say. What are the reasons why God will be favour- ably, signally, and eminently present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers? I answer there are these ten great reasons for it : —
[1.] First, To aivaken and convince the enemies of his people, and to render his suffering children glorious in the very eyes and con- sciences both of sinners and saints : Dan. iii. 24, ' Then Nebuchad- nezzar the king was astonied, and rose up in haste, and spake and said unto his counsellors, Did we not cast three men into the fire ? They answered and said unto the king, True, 0 king.' Ver. 25, * He answered and said, ' Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.'i Now see what a majesty there is in this presence of Christ with his people in the fire, to convince Nebuchadnezzar, and to render the three champions very glorious in his eyes. Ver. 28, ' Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said. Blessed be the God of Sha- drach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king's word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God.' Ver. 29, ' Therefore I make a decree, that every people, nation, and language which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.' Ver. 30, ' Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego in the province of Babylon.' The presence of the Lord with the three children com- manded favour, respect, reverence, and honour from this great monarch, Nebuchadnezzar. The presence of God with his people is very majestical ; the greatest monarchs have fallen down before it ; not only Nebuchadnezzar, but also Darius, falls down before the sig- nal presence of God with Daniel when he was in the lions' den, Dan. yi. 20 seq. And Herod falls down before the presence of God with John, Mark vi. 20. And King Joash falls down before the presence of God with Jehoiada, 2 Kings xi. 1, 2. And Saul falls down before
^ Ponder upon these scriptures: — Micah vii. 8-10, 16, 17; Ps. cxxvi. 1, 2; Exod. viii. 19; Isa. Ix. 13, 14; Rev. iii. 8, P; Acts iv. 13, and vi. 15; Jolin vii. 44-46, &c.
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 527
the presence of God with David : ' Thou art more righteous than 1/ 1 Sam. xxiv. 17, &c. And Alexander the emperor falls down before the presence of God in Jaddua, the high-priest.i In the signal presence of God with his people in their affliction there is such a sparkling lustre, that none can behold it but must admire it, and bow before the graceful majesty of it. Such has been the signal presence of God with the martyrs in their fiery trials, that many have been convinced and converted. I have read of a citizen of Paris who was burned for Protestantism, how the presence of God did so shine in his courage and constancy, that many did curiously inquire into that religion for which he so stoutly and resolutely suffered, so that the number of sufferers was much increased thereby. 2 I read that Cecilia, a poor virgin, by her gracious behaviour in her martyrdom, was the means of converting four hundred to Christ. It was the observation of Mr John Lindsay, that the very smoke of Mr [Patrick] Hamilton converted as many as it blew upon.3 Alexandrinus cites Plato, expressing himself thus : ' Although a righteous man be tormented, although his eyes be digged out, yet he remains a blessed man '^ The same Plato could say, ' That no gold or precious stone doth glister so gloriously as the prudent spirit of a good man.' And the very Hittites could say of Abraham, who had a very signal presence of God with him, ' Thou art a prince of God among us,' Gen. xxiii. 6 ; not that he was a king or had any authority over them, as the Sep- tuagint reads, ' Thou art a king from God among us ;' but he is called a prince of God, say some, [Lyra and Tostatus,] because he was as God's oracle — the Lord speaking to him by visions and dreams — unto whom they had recourse for counsel in difficult matters. Others say, he is called Prince of God, because God prospered him, and made him famous for his virtue and godliness. But the Hebrews commonly speak so of all things that are notable and excellent, because all excellency cometh from God ; as the angel of God, the mount of God, the city of God, the wrestlings of God, Exod. iii. 2, and iv. 37 ; Ps. xxvi. 4 ; Gen. xxx. 8, &c. ' Thou art a prince of God;' that is. Thou art a most excellent person. Seneca saw so much excellency that morality put upon a man, that he could say, Ipse aspecius honi viri delectat: The very looks of a good man delights one. And why then may not the sons of Heth call him a prince of God, from that majesty and glory that they saw shine forth in his graces, and in his gracious behaviour and conversation, and because they did observe a signal presence of God with him in all he did, it being no higher observation than what Abimelech had made before them? Gen. xxi. 22. Chrysostom, speaking of Babilas the martyr, saith, MagniLS atque admirabilis vir, &c. : He was an excel- lent and admirable man, &c.^ Tertullian, writing to some of the martyrs, who had a mighty presence of God with them, saith, ICon ianius sum ut vos alloquar, &c. ; I am not good enough to speak unto you. Oh that my life and a thousand more such wretches might
^ Misprinted Jaddus : Josephus, A. J. xi. 8, sec. 7, and cf. Prideaux, Coun. i. 5i5. — G.
2 History of the Council of Trent, p. 418, 2d edit.
■^ Clemens Alex. Strom, lib. iv. p. 495.
* As before. — G. * Clarke, as before.— G.
528 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD