7. Again, God maketh them friends without changing their disposition, by putting into their hearts some conceit for the time, which inclineth them to favour : as in Nehemiah, God put it into the king's heart to favour his people, Neh. ii. 8. Esau, Gen. xxxiii. 4, was not changed, only God for the time changed his affections to favour Jacob. So God puts it into the hearts of many, groundedly-naught, to favour the best persons.
8. Lastly, God maketh his own children sometimes lions to their adver- saries; for the image of God shining in his children, hath a secret majesty in it, and striketh an awe upon wicked men. So Pharaoh at length could not endure to see Moses and Aaron any more, Exod. x. 28 ; and FeUx trembled whilst Paul disputed of temperance and judgment. Acts xxiv. 25.
Use; of instruction and consolation. Thus we see the Lord kuovv^s how to deliver his, and can if he will ; and will do it in their extremities, when is most for his glory, his people's comfort, and confusion of his own and their enemies. Never despau- therefore of thyself or the chm'ch of God : it shall, rather than fail, breed in the lion's den. Paul salutes the PhiUp- pians, from the church in Cessar's house, Phil. iv. 22, a place in appear- ance Uttle fitter for a church than hell itself. What though things seem past recovery abroad ? When they are at the worst, then are they nearest mending. When the task of brick was doubled by Pharaoh upon Israel, Exod. V. 11, then came Moses to work out their deliverance. '^^^Ien the Jews heard news of then' liberty to return from captivity, they were as those that dreamed, Ps. cxxvi. 1 ; they could not suddenly believe it, it seemed so strange a thing, in that their hopeless estate. Learn we then, from this dealing of God with his people, in the midst of all extremities, to allege unto God the extremity we are in : ' Help, Lord, for vain is the help of man,' Ps. Ix. 11, is a prevailing argument. Allege the pride of enemies, the presumption of those that fear not God, &c., and that he only, can give issue from death, when he will. And as God brings us to heaven by contraries, so let us in one contrary believe another : hope against hope, in misery look for mercy, in death for life, in guiltiness for forgiveness.
* The reference is to the Armada, proudly called ' the Invincible.' It arrived in the Channel July lOtli 1588, and was utterly defeated next day by Drake and Ho- ward.— G.
THE saint's safety IN EVIL TIMES. 319
Learn to wrestle witli God when he seemeth thy enemy ; oppose unto God his former deahngs, his nature, his promise, &c. Joh had learned this, ' Though he kill me, yet will I trust in him,' Job xiii. 15. Be of Jacob's resolution, ' I will not leave hold of thee, until I get a blessing,' Gen. xxxii. 26. Whatsoever we are stript of, let us never forsake our o^vn mercy, Jonah ii. 8. This one word, ' I despair,' takes away God and Christ all at once. We must remember our sins are the sins of men, but mercy is the mercy of God. God will never leave us, but be with us, whilst we are with him. The world and all comforts in it, leave a man when they can have no more use of him nor he of them. Satan leaves his sworn vassals at their wits' end when he hath brought them into danger. But blessed be for ever our gracious God, then of all other times he is nearest to help us, when we stand most in need of him. He was never nearer Moses than when Moses seemed furthest from comfort, Exod. iii. 2 ; never nearer Jacob than when heaven was his canopy and a stone his pillow. Gen. xxviii. 12; never nearer Joseph than when in prison; Jonah, than in the belly of the whale, for God went down with him; never nearer Paul than when in the dungeon. Acts xvi. 25. A Christian is not alone when left alone, not forsaken when forsaken, 2 Cor. iv. 9. God and his angels supply them the want of other comforts. Is it not a greater comfort that a prince should come in person to a subject and cheer him up, than send a meaner man? ' And whence is this to me,' said Elizabeth, ' that the mother of my Lord should come unto me? Luke i. 43. Is it not the greatest com- fort to a Christian soul when God, in want of means, comes immediately himself unto us, and comforts us by his Spirit ? For in defect of second causes, comforts are ever sweetest. Therefore, in all extremities let us wait and hope still for mercy. ' If the vision stay,' saith Habakkuk, ' wait, for it will come,' Hab. ii. 3.
Differences of godly and wicked. This is a main difference betwixt the child of God and a person destitute of sound grace ; for the child of God in extremity, recovers himself, as David, after a great conflict, gets still the upper hand, ' Yet, my soul, keep thou silence unto God, for God is yet good to Israel,' Ps. Ixxiii. 1, as if he should say. Though, when I look upon my pre- sent outward condition, I stagger, yet, when I consider more deeply of his dealing, I am resolved God is good to Israel. Thus, after much tossing, they get up upon that rock which is higher than they. But those who are not upright-hearted, in any great extremity, sink down with despair, as heavy bodies, to the centre of the earth, without stop. The reason is, in their best estate they never were acquainted with relying upon God, but bore themselves up with fleshly helps, which, being taken away, they must needs fall downiright. But a sincere Chi'istian, in midst of his flomishing estate, acquainteth himself with God, and sets not his heart upon present things. Job says, that which he feared in his best case, that befel unto him. Job iii. 25. Therefore they can rest upon God's mercy when other props are taken away.