2. From the providence of God, who permitteth malicious enemies to draw nigh to his people, and to have many advantages against his people for holy and righteous ends.
[1.] That this is the usual course of God's providence, to suffer his people to be reduced to great dangers and extremities, that there is not a hair-breadth between them and ruin. Paul was in the very mouth of the lion, 2 Tim. iv. 17, before God delivered him ; by the lion he meaneth Nero, a bitter enemy to the Christians, and the lamb was brought bound to him : the prey was in the lion's mouth before God delivered him, 2 Cor. i. 10, compared with 1 Cor. xv. 32, and both with Acts. xiv. 19 : I gave my self for dead ; it was a thousand to one he had not been sacrificed to the fury of the multitude. So was David often near taking dangers, which he did or could hardly escape : Ps. liv., the title, ' When the Ziphims discovered him to Saul.' So Ps. lvii., the title, ' When he fled from Saul in the cave ; ' the army of Saul at the mouth of the cave, and Saul cometh into it, and yet God blinded him so that he escaped. So the church : Ps. cxxiv. 1-3, ' If it had not been the Lord that was on our side, now may Israel say, if it had not been the Lord who was on our side when men rose up against us, then they had swallowed us up quick when their wrath was kindled against us.' They were in the midst of their fears.
[2.] Why is this his usual course?
(1.) To exercise their trust and dependence. Graces are seldom exercised to the life till we are near the point of death. Now rather than God will suffer his people to live by sense, without manifesting grace, and bringing honour to their profession and the truth of his promises, he will cast them into great dangers. The skill of a pilot is seen in a storm, so is faith put to it in great conflicts ; as it is in cares, so in fears : many are reduced to great straits in the family, no meal in the barrel, no oil in the cruse : John vi. 4-6, ' When Jesus then lift up his eyes and saw a great multitude come unto him, he saith unto Philip, Whence shall we buy bread that these may eat ?
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98 sermons upon psalm cxix. [Ser. CLXVIII.
And this he said to prove him, for he himself knew what he would do.' A poor believer is put to it : children increase, trading seemeth dead ; what shall we do ? When danger is danger indeed, then is a believer tried and exercised : 2 Cor. i. 9, ' But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead.' We are much given to self-confidence ; while our mountain standeth strong, and we are entrenched within the security of worldly advantages and props, we scarce know what faith and dependence upon God mean. Now, saitli God, I will make you trust in me ere I have done, and to live alone upon my all- sufficiency : you may think your reputation will hear you out, but I will load you with censures that you may trust in me; you think friends shall help you, but friend and lover shall be afar off ; you think to shelter yourselves under common refuges, but they shall all fail and cease, that I may see whether you trust in me ; or that the common justice and equity of your cause shall bear you out, but I will send against you those that are maliciously resolved (contrary to all justice and gratitude), that shall approach and endeavour to mis- chief you. Who would think that Paul should be in danger of self- confidence, a man so exercised as he was, so tossed to and fro, so often whipped, scourged, exposed to clanger ? Alas ! we can hardly see with other eyes than nature hath, or depend upon invisible help ; we look at present things, and laugh at danger upon the confidence of outward probabilities. If we can get a carnal pillow and bolster under our heads, we sleep and dream many a golden dream of ease and safety. Now God, that is jealous of our trust, will not let us alone, and therefore will put us upon sharp trials. It is not faith but sense we live upon before : that is faith if we can depend upon God when they draw near that follow after mischief : Ps. iii. 6, ' I will not be afraid of ten thousands of the people that set themselves against me round about.' A danger at a distance is but imagined ; it worketh otherwise when it is at hand : Christ himself had other thoughts of approaching danger than danger at a distance : John xii. 27, ' Now is my soul troubled ; ' this vessel of pure water was shaken, though he discovered no dregs.
(2.) To quicken to prayer. Jonah, that slept in the ship, falls a-praying in the whale's belly. A drowsy soul is awakened in case of extreme danger: Ps. cxxx. 1, 'Out of the depths have I cried unto thee.' Now an ordinary prayer will not serve the turn ; not to speak a prayer, but to cry a prayer : we do but act devotion before, and personate the part of the supplicant ; then we exercise it. Now rather than God's children shall neglect prayer, he exposeth them to great hazards : Mat. viii. 25, ' Master, carest thou not that we perish ? ' What careless, dead, and drowsy prayers do we perform when all things go on fairly, and we are well at ease ! Moses cried when Israel was at a loss, Exod. xiv. 15, the sea before, the Egyptians be- hind ready to tread upon their heels, mountains on each side.