[6.] Sixthly, Will the Lord be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers ? Then never give way to hose slavish fears, Ps. li. 12, 13, and xlvi. 1-3; Mat. X. 28, &c. There are as many /ear nots in Scripture as there are fears. Take a taste of some of them : — Heb. xiii. 5, ' He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee,' Ver. 6, * So that we may boldly say. The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.' This text is taken out of Ps. cxviii. 6, ' The Lord is on my side, I will not fear what man can do unto me.' Some read it by way of interrogation, ' What can man do unto me?'l There is some difference in the apostle's quoting the text betwixt the Hebrew and the Greek. The Hebrew thus reads'it, ' The Lord is with me,' or for me ; or as our English hath translated it, * The Lord is on my side.' The Greek thus, ' The Lord is my helper.' But the sense being the same with the Hebrew, the apostle would not alter that translation. The alteration which is in the Greek serves for an exposition of the mind and meaning of the psalmist ; for- God being with us, or for us, or on our side, presupposeth that he is our helper. So as there is no contradiction tjetwixt the psalmist and the apostle, but a clear interpre- tation of the psalmist's mind ; and a choice instruction thence ariseth ■^viz., that God's signal presence with us, for us, or on our side, may abundantly satisfy us, and assure us that he will afford all needful help and succour to us. The consideration of which should abundantly arm us against all base slavish fears. God is not present with his saints in their troubles and distresses as a stranger, but as a father ; and there- fore he cannot but take such special care of them, as to help them, as to succour them, and as to secure them from dangers in the midst of dan- gers, and therefore why should they be afraid ? Isa. xliii. 2. The Greek word fio7)66<i, that is translated helper in that Heb. xiii. 6, according to the notation of it, signifieth one that is ready to run at the cry of another. Now this notation implieth a willing readiness and a ready willingness in God to afford all succour and relief to his people in their greatest troubles and deepest distresses. Herein God shews him- self like a tender father, mother, or nurse, who presently runs when any of them hear the cliild cry, or see danger near : Isa. viii. 10, * God is with us.' Ver. 12, ' Fear ye not their fear, nor be afraid.' The divine presence should arm us against all base slavish fears of men's power, policy, wrath, or rage. Kings and princes, compared with God, or with the signal presence of God, are but as so many grass- hoppers, skipping and leaping up and down the field ; and does it become Christians that enjoy this divine presence to be afraid of grass- hoppers ? Isa. xl. 22 : Isa. xli. 10, ' Fear thou not ; for I am with thee : be not dismayed ; for I am thy God : I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will help thee ; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteous- ness.' God expects that his signal presence with us should arm us against all base fear and dismayedness : Ps. xxiii. 4, ' Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil : for
^ The Earl of Murray, speaking of Mr John Knox, said, Here lies the body of him who in his lifetime never feared the face of any man.
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 553
thou art with me.' The divine presence raised David above all his fears : Ps. xxvii. 1 , ' The Lord is my light and my salvation ; whom shall I fear ? the Lord is the strength of my life, of whom shall I be afraid ?' Who is the enemy that I should be afraid of ? where is the enemy that I should be afraid of ? by what name or title is the enemy dignified or distinguished that I should be afraid of ? I look before me and behind me, I look round about me and I look at a distance from me, and I cannot see the man, the devil, the informer that I should fear or be afraid of, for God is with me. Where God is, said king Herod in a speech to his army,i there neither wants multitude nor fortitude. We may safely, readily, and cheerfully set the divine presence against all our enemies in the world. When Antigonus his admiral told him that the enemies number far exceeded his : But how many do ye set me against ? said the king. Look about you and see who is with you. Ah, Christians, Christians, look about you, look about you, and see who is signally present with you, and then be afraid if you can. But,
[7.] Seventhly, Will the Lord be signally present with his people in their greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers ? Then certainly there is no such great evil in troubles, distresses, suffer- ings, &c. , as many conceive, fear, dream, think, judge. Many men look upon troubles, afflictions, sufi'erings, in a multiplying glass, and then they cry out, There is a lion in the way, a lion in the streets, Prov. xxii. 13, and xxvi. 13. But, sirs, the lion is not always so fierce as he is painted, nor afflictions are not always so grievous as men apprehend. There are many who have been very fearful of prisons, and «have looked upon a prison as a hell on this side hell, who when they have been there for righteousness' sake, and the gospel's sake, have found prisons to be palaces, and the imaginary hell to be a little heaven unto them. Many fear afflictions, and flee from afflictions as from toads and ser- pents, as from enemies and devils ; and yet certainly there is no such great evil in affliction as they apprehend, for the Lord is signally pre- sent with his people in their greatest troubles and deepest distresses. Now what evil can there be in that condition wherein a man enjoys the divine presence, that makes every bitter sweet, and every burden light, and that turns winter nights into summer days, &c. ? yea, many times the saints enjoy more of the singular presence of God in their afflictions, in their day of adversity, than ever they did in the day of prosperity, or in the day of their worldly glory. What bride is afraid to meet her bridegroom in a dark entiy, or in a dirty lane, or in a nar- row passage, or in a solitary wood ; and why then should a Christian be afraid of this or that afflicted condition, who is sure to meet his blessed bridegroom, the Lord Jesus Christ, in every state, in every condition, who is sure to enjoy the presence of Christ with him in every turn or change that may pass upon him ? How many martyrs have ventured into the very flames to meet with Christ, Heb. xi. 34, and that have many other ways made a sacrifice of their dearest lives, and all to meet with Christ ! Oh the cruel mockings, the scourgings, the bonds, the imprisonments, the stoning, the sawing asunder that many of the Lord's wortliies have ventured upon, and all to meet with the presence
554 THE SIGNAL PRESENCE OF GOD