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THE S.UNt's hiding-place IN THE EVIL DAY. 419
selves to walk as in the presence of the Almighty ! This is that which tho Scripture speaks of Enoch, Gen. v. 24, and the rest, who are said to have walked with God ; that is, to have committed themselves and their souls to him, as to a faithful Creator.
Ohj. Of tcicked men's prcservinrf , xvlio do not commit their souls to God. It may be objected, here is a great deal of labour and striving against cor- ruptions indeed ; may not a man walk with God without all this ado ? We see wicked men, that never commit their souls to God, grow fat and lusty, and have as good success in the world as the strictest men that arc.
Ans. 1. I answer, God many times preserves such wretches; but, alas! that preservation is rather a reservation for a worse evil to come upon them. ' There is a pit a-digging for the wicked,' Ps. xxxvii. 13, 38. He flomisheth and bears out all impudently, under hope of success ; but his grave is a-makiug, and his present prosperity will but aggi-avate his futm-e misery.
2. Sometimes God preserves wicked men for other ends. It may be he hath some to come of their loins, who of wicked shall be made good.
3. Again, God will be in no man's debt. Those that are civilly good shall have civd prosperity, as the Romans had. They had a commonwealth well governed, and they prospered many years together. As Chaucer observes, God preserves wicked men from many calamities ; he gives them civil wisdom, good carriage, &c. ; and answerable to those common gifts, he gives them preservation and protection, &c. ; but then there is vengeance on their souls the while. Those that commit not themselves carefully and watchfully to God, have dead, secure souls, without any life of grace or power of godliness in them. I speak this to waking Christians, that would know in what case they should live ; walking in the sense and assurance of God's love ; they, I say, ought to practise this duty of committing the keeping of their souls to God in well-doing, as to a faithful Creator.
What it is to commit our souls to God. Neither is it so easy a matter to commit our souls to God as many fondly imagine. It is not the mumbling over a few prayers, saying. Lord, receive my soul, &c., will serve the turn. These are good words indeed, and soon learned ; but, alas ! who cannot do this ? Cm- study, therefore, should be to know the depth and meaning of the same ; how that we are not only to commit the essence of our souls to God, that he would take them into heaven when we die ; but also to commit the affections of our souls to him, that he might own us and govern us whilst we live ; for how are our souls known, but by those active expres- sions in om- aflections, which immediately issue from them, when we com- mit all our thoughts, desires, and affections to him, setting him highest in our souls, and making him our hope, our trust, our joy, our fear, &c. ?
Thus I have spoken of the duty, and of the thiuj to be committed, our S02ils ; and to ivhom, to God ; and the manner, in u-ell-duinrj ; and uhij ? because he is a faithful Creator.
Now, I beseech you, consider how nearly it concerns us all to be tho- roughly acquainted with the practice of this duty. God knows what extremities we may fall into. Certainly in what condition soever we be, either public or private, whether in contagion and infection, or war and desolation, happy are we if we have a God to go to. If we have him to retire to in heaven, and a good conscience to retire to in ourselves, we may rest secure. ' Though the earth be removed, and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea,' Ps. xlvi. 2, 4, yet we shall be safe ; that is, though the order of nature were confounded, yet there is a river shall refresh the house of God. There are chambers of divine protection, that the
420 THE saint's hiding-place in the evil day.
Christian enters into, as the prophet saith, ' Enter into thy chambers,' Isa, xxvi, 20 ; and God is his habitation still. If a Christian had no shelter in the world, yet he hath an abiding j^lace in God continually ; as God dwells in him, so he dwells in God. Satan and all other the enemies of man must break through God before they can come to us, when once we commit our- selves to him, as to a tower and habitation, and enter into him as into an hiding place. The enemies must wrong him before they can hurt us, so blessed an estate it is to be in God, having commended our souls to him, as unto a. faithful Creator.
Ohj. But we see many of God's dear children, that commit themselves to his care and protection, miscarry, and go by the worst in the world.
A71S. 1. Beloved, it is not so, for when they commit themselves to God, they are under safety ; and if he keep them not out of trouble, yet he wUl preserve them in trouble. ' I will be with thee in the fire, and in the water,* saith God, Isa. xl. He saith not, I will keep you out of the fire, and out of the water, for he brought many holy martjrs into it ; some were drowned, some burned, &c. Though God will not keep us out of trouble, yet he will preserve our spirits in trouble ; nay, God many times by a small trouble preserves us from a greater. Even the sufferings of the godly are oft preservations to them. Was not Jonah preserved by the v/hale? What had become of him if that had not swallowed him up ? A whale that one would have thought should be a means to destroy him, was a means to cari-y him to the coast, and bring him safely to land.