It is said, ' His ears are open to their prayers, and his eyes to see their afflictions.'
Quest. But with what kind of eye doth God see the afflictions of his children ?
Solution. He sees them with a tender, compassionate eye ; for he aboundeth in those affections which he hath put into a father and mother. There is no mother would suffer her child to miscariy, if she could help it. God sees surely* some afflictions are for our good, or he would relieve us ; for as he hath a compassionate eye, so he hath a tender heart, and a power- ful hand. He sees wicked men also ; but his eyes in regard of them are ' like a flame of fire,' not only because he is quick-sighted, but because he sees with a revengefulf eye ; and as his eyes are like a flame of fire, so likewise he hath feet of brass to tread them to powder, Rsv. i. 14, 15.
Use 1. And this likewise is no little part of our comfort ; for when we sufler anything in this world, it is from ill men for the most part, except it be in those afflictions wherein we more immediately deal with God, as in sickness, &c. But in persecution in the world, our trouble lies with men. Therefore it is our comfort, God sees our trouble, and their malice ; and as he is ready to help the one, so he is to revenge the other.
Use 2. And as it is a point of comfort, so of great encouragement to be bold in God's cause. "VXTiat ! shall we be baser than the base creatures ? Take but a dog in his master's sight, you see how he will fight. Take the meanest and basest creature, when it hath a superior nature to itself, that it I is wiser and greater, that encourageth and sets it on, that it knows will see it take no harm, these base creatures will be courageous ; which otherwise if it had none to set it on, had no corn-age at all, at least not so much. And shall we in the sight of God, and when we are set in his quarrel, and have his encouragement and his command, with promise of his presence and assistance, flinch and fly ofl' then ? It argues a great deal of atheism and infidelity of heart. God sees me and looks on me while I tight, and while I stand for his cause. God's cause is true and just, God * That is, ' assuredly.' — G- t That is, ' avenging.' — G. J Qu. ' it knows'? '—Ed.
39G THE RETURNING BACKSLIDER. [SeRMON XII.
sees me, and he sees v^bo opposeth me. In regard of the eye of God therefore, let us be courageous in these things that are agreeable to the mind of God, whatsoever they be, whether matters of justice or piety.
Use 3. Again, if God have such an ear to hear us, let us have an ear to hear him, .and an eye to look to him. Let us have Moses' eye to look on him who is invisible, Heb. xi. 26. His eye is upon us, and let our eye be to him ; both may be together. When these two eyes meet ; when my heart tells me that God seeth me, and that I see God looking upon me, this makes courageous. Therefore as God hears and sees us, so we must have an eye to see him that is invisible. And so we pass from these words, ' I have heard him and observed him ; ' and what the prophet's meaning is. ' I have heard him, and will hear him ; I have observed him, and will ob- serve him.' For they contain a perpetual action in God; not that he hath, nnd will not do it now, but what he hath done and will do. That he sets down here in bon'owed speeches, for he saith also,
' I will be like a green fir-tree to him: from me is thy fruit found.'
God will be ' like a green fir-tree ' in regard of shadow. A fir-tree is a high tree, a goodly, smooth tree, barren in regard of fruit, but it hath thick leaves, which hinders rain from falling upon those who rest under the shadow thereof, and likewise keeps the sun fi-om annoying them. So it is a fit tree for shadow, and the fitter, because it hath no fruit. For usually those trees which spend not themselves this way, thej^ spend themselves in leaves, and have a perpetual greenness, which is supplied with that which should be fruit in fruitful trees. Therefore he sets it down by this com- parison of a fir-tree, that so God will keep back all showei-s, tempests, and storms, and all annoying heat, and he will do it perpetually, as the fir-tree hath a perpetual gi-eenness ; and he will do it with pleasure and delight, as it is a delightful shadow. But because the fir-tree hath no fruit on it, God will not only be a shadow to his children to keep ill from them, but he will be a fruitful tree to them. 'From me,' saith God, 'shall thy fruit be found ; ' that is, whatsoever good thou doest, thou slialt have it from me. All fruitful comfort comes from me, and all grace. Whatsoever is good for thee, for prosperity of soul or body, all is from me. So we see how God conveyeth himself and his mercy here by sweet comparisons, dealing very familiarly with us, and speaking to us in our own language. We will take both in order as they lie.