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the waste howling wilderness ; he led him about, he instructed him, he kept him as the apple of his eye. As an eagle stirreth up her nest, fluttereth over her young, spreadeth abroad her wings, taketh them, bearetli them on her wings :' ver. 12, ' So the Lord alone did lead him, and there was no strange god with him.' The eagle carries her young ones upon her wings— not in her talons, for fear of hurting them — • openly, safely, choicely, charily, speedily ; and so did God his Israel, of whom he was exceeding choice and chary.
The care that God exercises towards his people is,
(1.) An extensive care : a care that reaches, that extends itself to all the saints, whether rich or poor, high or low, bond or free, &c., 2 Chron. xvi. 9 ; Zech. i. 10, 11.
(2.) It is an intentive'^ care : he cares for all as if he had but one to care for, Zech. i. 14.
(3.) It is a pleasant and delightful care, Isa. xxxi. 5 ; and not a wearying, tearing, tormenting care. It is such a pleasant care as an indulgent father exercises towards a son, an only son, a son that serves him, Mai. iii. 17.
(4.) It is an effectual care, a prosperous care, a success/id care, a flourishing care. Men many times rise early and go to bed late, and take a great deal of care at home and abroad, and all to no purpose ; but the care of God is always successful, Deut. xi. 12.
(5.) It isasingtdar care, a pecidiar care. God cares more for them than he doth for all the world besides. The ftither's care over the child is a peculiar care, and the husband's care over the wife is a peculiar care, and the head's care over the members is a peculiar care, and so is the Lord's care over his people a peculiar care. God's general care extends to the whole creation ; but his special care centres in his saints Zeph. iii. 16-20; Ps. xxxvi. 6; Isa. xl. 31.
(6.) It is a very tender caix: Isa. xl. 11, ' He shall feed his flock like a shepherd ; he shall gather the lambs with his arms, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.' Zeph. ii. 8, ' He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye,' or the ' little man' that is in the eye, or the black of the eye, which is the tenderest piece of the tcnderest part, to express the inexpressible tenderness of God's care and love towards his people.2
(7.) It is an abiding care, a looting care ; and not a transient care, a momentary care: Ps. cxxv. 1,2,' They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people, from henceforth even for ever.' Jerusalem was surrounded with many great high mountains, which were a great safeguard to it against all winds and storms. Such a shelter, such a safeguard, yea, and a better, will God be to mystical mount Zion, the church, Zech. ii. 5, against all winds and storms of affliction or persecution : Ps. cxxi. 3, 4, ' He that keepeth thee will not slumber : behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.' He repeats the pro- mise, and sets it forth with a ' behold,' that it may stick the closer,
" hhon of iah is here called lath, the dau3:hlcr of the eye ; because it is as dear to a man as an only daughter.
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and warm our hearts the better. The phrase is taken from watchmen, who stand on the walls in time of war to discover the approaching enemies, and accordingly give warning. Now though they may be careless, treacherous, or sleepy ; yet the Lord will be so far from sleep- ing, that he will not so much as slumber, no, he will not so much as fetch one wink of sleep. It hath been a tradition that lions sleep not, yet to think or say that they sleep not at all were absurd ; indeed, their eyelids being too little to cover their great eyes, they do sleep with their eyes somewhat open and shining, which hath occasioned some to think that they sleep not at all.i But sure I am that the Lion of the tribe of Judah, who is the keeper of Israel, doth neither slumber nor sleep. He never shuts his eyes, but hath them always open upon his people for good ; he winks not so much as the twinkling of an eye ; he always stands sentinel for his people's safety : Isa. xxvii. 2, 3, ' In that day sing ye unto her, A vineyard of red wine ; I, the Lord, do keep it, I will water it every moment' — or, as the Hebrew runs, 'at moments,' or ' by moments' — ' lest any hurt it ; I will keep it night and day,' that is, constantly, continually, without intermission. And this constant care of God over his people was signified by those two types, the pillar of fire and the pillar of a cloud, that left not Israel till they were in the possession of the land of Canaan, which was a type of heaven, Exod. xiii. 21, 22.
(8.) And lastly. It is an active care : a care that puts the Lord upon preserving his people, and protecting of his people, and making pro- vision for his people, and standing by his people, and pleading the cause of his people, and clearing the innocency of his people. ^ God is above his people and beneath them, Pent, xxxiii. 26, 27 ; he is under them and over them, Cant. ii. 6 ; he is before them and behind them, Exod. xxxiii. 1, 2; Isa. lii. 12, and Iviii. 8. God is in the front of his people, and God is in the rear of his people, he is on the right hand of his people and he is on the left hand of his people, Ps. xvi. 8, cxxi. 5, and cxviii. 15, 16 ; Exod. xiv. 22. God made the waters as a wall on their right hand and on their left. God is round about his people, Ps. xxxiv. 7, and cxxv. 1,2; and in the midst of his people, Zech. ii. 5 ; Ps. xlvi. 5 ; ' God is in the midst of her,' Isa. xii. 6. Oh how safe are they that are under such a glorious care ! God is above his people and beneath them, he is under them and over them, he is before them and behind them, he is in the front and in the rear, he is round about them and in the midst of them. Now what doth all this speak out, but that the care of God toward his people is an active care ? If the philosopher could say, being in danger of shipwreck in a light, starry night, ' Surely I shall not perish, there are so many eyes of providence over me,' 3 oh, then, what may the saints say ! Now by this argument it is evident that the people of God stand upon the advantage-ground, as to their outward preservation and protection, above all other people in the world,
[10.] Tenthly, and lastly, 1/ you do hut consider God's great anger and deep dis'pleasure against those that affiict, oppose, or oppress his
' Appianus : Pliny, Hist. lib. iii. cap. 3.
' It was a strange speech of Socrates, a heathen, ' Since God is so careful for you,' saith he, ' what need you be careful for anything yourselves ? ' ' Plato. — G.
422 A HEAVENLY CORDIAL,