[3.] Thirdly, To move you so to order, demean, and carry yourselves as that you may enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in the greatest troubles and deepest distresses, consider that if you do not labour to demean, order, and carry yourselves so as that you may enjoy the favourable, signal, and eminent presence of God with you in your greatest troubles, deepest distresses, and most deadly dangers, you have high reason to question whether ever you have orally enjoyed this favou7'ahle, this signal presence of God ivith you or no; for there are always four tilings to be found in him that has really tasted, and in good earnest experienced, the sweet, the life, the power, the virtue, that is in the favourable signal presence of God— (1.) Such a person sets the highest price and value imaginable upon it, he prizes it above all the honours, riches, dignities, delights, comforts, and contents of this world, Ps. iv. 6, 7 ; yea, he prizes it above life itself : Ps. Ixiii. 3, ' Thy loving-kindness is better than life.' The Hebrew is plural, Chajirn, lives. The loving-kindness of God, the presence of God in a wilder- ness, is better than lives, than many lives, than all lives with the ap- purtenances. There is a greater excellency in the favour of God, in the presence of God, than in all lives put together. There have been many persons that have been weary of their lives, but there never was any man that has been weary of the favour of God, of the presence of God, 1 Kings xix. 4 ; Job vii. 15 ; Jonah iv. 8 ; Prov. xxviii. 14. (2.) Such a person keeps up in his soul a humble fear of losing of it. The divine presence is a jewel more worth than all the world, and he that has experienced the sweetness of it had rather lose all he hath in this world than lose it. I have read of a religious woman, that having born nine children, professed that she had rather endure all the pains of those nine travails at once, than endure the misery of the loss of God's presence. (3.) Such a person keeps up in his soul a diligent care to maintain this presence ; his head, his heart is stiU a-contriving
WITH HIS PEOPLE IN THEIR GREATEST TROUBLES. 5G3
how he may keep his God with him : Jer. xiv. 9, ' Why shouldest thou he as. a man astonied, as a mighty man that cannot save? yet thou, 0 Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy name ; leave us not.' This person had rather that his dearest friends should leave him, that liis nearest relations should leave him, yea, that all the world should leave him, than that his God should leave him. The daily, yea, the hourly language of the soul is. Lord, leave me not ; though all the world should leave me, yet don't thou leave me ! (4.) Such a person will do all he can that all under his care and charge may partake of this signal presence of God ; he will do his utmost that children, yoke-fellow, kindred, servants, may taste the sweetness of the divine presence, John i. 40 to the end, and iv. 28^3 ; Acts X. 24-36. When Samson had found honey in the carcase of the lion, he did not only eat himself, but he gave of the honey to his father and mother, and they did eat also, Judg. xiv. 8, 9. Of all sweets the presence of God is the greatest sweet ; and whenever a poor soul comes to taste of this heavenly honey, he will do his best that all others, especially those that are near and dear to him, may taste of the same honey. But,
[4.] Fourthly, To move you so to order, demean, and carry yourselves as that you may enjoy the gracious presence of God with you in your greatest troubles and deepest distresses, consider the excellent properties or qualities of this favourable, this signal presence of God with his people. This I can but hint at, because I must hasten all I can to a close. (1.) It is the best presence, Ps. Ixiii. 3. It is better than the pre- sence of friends, of relations, of saints, of angels, &c. (2.) It is the greatest presence, it is the presence of the great King, it is the pre- sence of the King of kings and Lord of lords, it is the presence nf)t only of a mighty but of an almighty God, 1 Kings viii. 27 ; Kev. xvii. 14, and xix. 16 ; Num. xxiv. 4, 16 ; Kuth i. 20, 24. (3.) It is the happiest presence. It is a presence that makes a man really happy, presently happy, totally happy, eminently happy, and eternally happy, Ps. cxliv. 15 ; 1 Kings x. 8 ; Deut. xxxiii. 29 ; Prov. iii. 18. He can never be truly happy that wants this presence ; he can never be truly miserable that enjoys this presence. True happiness is too great a thing to be found in anything below this favourable, this signal pre- sence of God. He that enj oys this presence enj oys all ; he that wants this presence enjoys nothing at all ; he that wants this presence may write nothing or nought upon his honours, riches, pleasures, dignities, offices, relations, friends, &c., Amos vi. 13. All a man has are but ciphers without a figure if he be not blessed with this divine presence. This divine presence was Jacob's 'enough,' yea, Jacob's 'all:' Gen. xxxiii. 11, ' I have all,' Esau had much, Li-zah,^ ' I have much, my brother ;' ver. 9, ' But Jacob had all' Hahet omnia, qui hahet habentem omnia, ' He hath all who hath him that is all in all' Omne bonum in summo bono, ' All good is in the chiefest good,' [Augustine.] Secure this divine presence, and you secure all, Col. iii. 11. (4.) It is the most desirable presence. Consult these scriptures in the margin, l Job xxiii. 3, ' Oh that I knew where I might find him ! that I might come even to his seat.' Exod. xxxiii. 15, ' If thy presence go not
1 Ps. xlii. 1, 2, Ixiii. I, 2, 8, and xxvii. 4 ; Gen. xxviii. 20 ; Ts. Ixxxiv.
564 THE SIGNAL PBESENCE OF GOD ,