go for yours, &c. In Queen Mary's days,i not of blessed but of abhorred memory, the people of God met — sometimes forty, some- times a hundred, sometimes two hundred — together. The fiery per- secutors of that day sent in one among them to spy out their practices and to give information of their names, that they might be brought to Smithfield shambles; but there was such a presence of God in the assembly of his people, that this informer was convinced and con- verted, and cried them all mercy : 1 Cor. xiv. 24, ' But if all prophesy, and there come in one that believeth not, or one unlearned, he is con- vinced of all, he is judged of all ;' ver, 25, ' And thus are the secrets of his heart made manifest, and so falling down on his face, he will worship God, and report that God is in you of a truth.' It may be before they came to the assembly of the saints, they had hard thoughts of the people of God : they thought that folly was in them, or that disloyalty was in them, or that madness and rebellion was in them, or that plots and designs against the government was in them, or that the devil was in them. Oh, but now such a majestical presence of God appears in the midst of his people, that the unbeliever is convinced, and confesses ' that God is in them of a truth.' Blessed Bradford had such a signal presence of God with him in his sufferings, as begot great reverence and admiration, not only in the hearts of his friends, but in the very hearts of very many papists also. Henry the Second, king of France, being present at the martyrdom of a poor tailor, who was burnt by him for his religion ; the poor man had such a signal pre- sence of God with him in his sufieringSj that his courage and boldness, his holy and gracious behaviour, did so amaze and terrify the king, that he swore, at his going away, that he never would be present at such a sight more.2 As the presence of God is the greatest ornament of the church triumphant, so the presence of God is the greatest orna- ment of the church militant. The redness of the rose, the whiteness of the lily, and all the beauties of sun, moon, and stars, are but defor- mities to that beauty and glory that the presence of God puts upon his people, in all their troubles and trials. There is nothing in the world that will render the saints so amiable and lovely, so eminent and excellent in the eyes of their enemies, as the signal presence of God with them in their greatest trials. Demetrius ^ was so passing fair of face and countenance, that no painter was able to draw him. The presence of God with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, puts so rare a beauty and glory upon them, that no painter can ever be able to draw them. But,
[2.] A second reason why God will be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, is drawn from the covenant of grace, and those 'precious pro- mises that God has made to he loith his people. God's covenant is, that he will be with his people for ever, and that he will never turn away from them to do them good, Jer. xxxii. 40, 41. That is a btanch of the covenant : ' I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,' Heb. xiii. 5. And that is a branch of the covenant : * I am thy shield, and thy
1 Foxe, Acts and Mon., 1881.
2 [Foxe,] Acts and Mon., p. 1458. Epist. Hist. Gal., 82. 2 Plutarch in the Life of Demetrius.
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 529
exceeding great reward/ Gen. xv. 1 ; see Ps. cxv. 9-11. The shield is between the body and the thrust. So saith God, I will put in betwixt thee and harm. Though those kings whom thou hast even now vanquished, may rant high and threaten revenge, yet I will shield off all dangers that thou mayest be incident to. Though God's people be in the waters and in the fires, yet his promise is to be with them ; so the psalmist, ' I will be with him in trouble, I will dehver him, and honour him,' Isa. xliii. 2 ; Ps. xci. 15, and 1. 15 ; Job v. 19 ; Hosea ii. 14. God will not fail to keep his people company in all their troubles. No storm, no danger, no distress, no fiery trial, can keep God and his people asunder. God is immutable in his nature, in his counsels, in his covenant, and in all his promises, Mai. iii. 6. Though all creatures are subject to change, yet God is unchangeable ; though angels and men, and all inferior creatures are dependent, yet God is independent. He is as the schoolmen say, Omnind immutahilis, altogether immutable, and therefore he will be sure to keep touch with his people. Precious promises are Pabulum fidei, et animafidei, The food of faith, and the very soul of faith. They are a mine of rich treasures, a garden full of choice flowers, able to enrich a suffering Christian with all celestial contentments, and to sweeten the deepest distresses. God has deeply engaged himself, both by covenant and promises, that he will be with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers ; and therefore he will not fail them : Deut. vii. 9, ' Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant,' &c., or 'the God of amen.' God will never suffer his faithfulness to fail, nor alter the thing that is gone out of his mouth, Ps. Ixxxix. 33. All his pre- cepts, menaces, predictions, and promises are the issue of a most wise, holy, faithful, and righteous will, and therefore they shall certainly be made good to his people. But,
[3.] Thirdly, The Lord will be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, because it makes most eminently for the advancement of his own honour and glory in the world. God never gets more honour than by helping his people when they are at a dead lift. God's signal presence with Israel at the Red Sea, makes Moses sing a song of praise, Exod. xv. A great part of the revenue of divine glory arises from the special presence of God with his people in their deepest distresses and most deadly dangers, as you may see by comparing the scriptures in the margin together, i It is the honour of a husband to be most present with his wife in her greatest troubles, and the honour of a father to be most present with his children in their deepest distresses, and the honour of commanders to be present with their soldiers in the heat of battle, when many fall on their right hand and on their left : Exod. XV. 3, * The Lord is a man of war,' that is, an excellent warrior, * the Lord is his name ;' according to the Septuagint, avvTplBwv •Tro\efjbov<i, ' He breaketh battles, and subdueth war.' God, like a brave commander, stands upon his honour, and therefore he will stand by his soldiers in the greatest dangers. The word ish, here used for man, signifies an eminent man, a mighty man, a famous warrior, or, as
^ Exod. XV. ; Jud-cs v. ; Ps. xxiii. 4, 6 ; Isa. xliii. 2, 5, 7. VOL. V. 2 L
630 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD