Obs. In the next place, though they be few, yet God hath a special care of them. Why ? There is good reason ; for they are his in a peculiar manner. A governor of an house, he cares for all his cattle, but he cares for his children more. A man hath some care for all the lumber and trash in his house ; he sees them useful at some time or other, but he cares more for his jewels. If fire come, he will be sure to carry away his jewels, what- soever become of the lumber. God's children are his after a peculiar man- ner. Therefore he hath an answerable peculiar care of them in all times. And indeed when they are once his, as he makes them have a peculiar care of him, so he looks upon them as such as he hath wrought upon to be good, and to witness for him ; that have a care to stand for him and his honour, to own him and the cause of religion ; he will have a care of them. Not that they have this of themselves to win his love, but he works in them a care to witness for him ; he works in them a care to stand for him and his glory in all times ; and therefore he will be sure to stand for them in the worst times. He will not be beholding to any man. What we have, we have it from him ; and then he crowns his own graces after. He will have a special care of those that are his.
This might be instanced from the beginning of the world, from the infancy of the church to this present time. When he would consume the old world, Noah must come into the ark. And Lot must come forth of Sodom when it was to be destroyed ; the angel could do nothing else, Gen. xix. 22. So he had a care for Jeremiah and Baruk, he gave them their lives for a prey. He will have a care of his own in the worst times, for they are sealed ; he hath set his seal upon them. Those things that are sealed we have a special care of; now in Rev. vii. 3, there are a number that are sealed, sealed inwardly by the Spirit of God, they are marked out for God ; they are a marked, scaled number, all those that God will have a special care of. As in Ezek. ix. 4, those that were marked in the fore- head, they were looked unto and cared for before the destruction came. So in Mai. iii. 17, God had jewels that he saith he would gather. When
THE pooK man's kiches. 235
he brings a general destruction, he will be sure to gather his jewels; bis first care is of them. ' A book of remembrance was written for them.' He hath a book of providence to write their names in. He hath their limbs, all the parts of them written ; not a hair of them can miscarry : their tears, their steps, their days are numbered. ' My times are in thy hands,' saith David, Ps, xxxi. 15. All things are numbered exactly of those that belong to God. He bath a care of them and all theirs to a hair ; as our Saviour Christ saith, they shall not lose so much as a hair of their heads. God hath an exact care of his remnant at all times.
Obj. But you will say. Sometimes it falls out otherwise.
Ans. Indeed, so it doth, for sometimes God's children are taken away in common judgments, perhaps for too much correspondency with the sins of the times ; therefore they ai-e wrapped in the destruction of the times. But 3'et there is a main difierence between them. Jonathan and Saul died by the sword, both of them ; Josiah and others died in the field. But there is a main difference. Jonathan was a good man ; Saul, for aught the Scripture saith of him, we have no ground to judge charitably of him, but leave him to his judge. But sure it is in general, though the same things befall good and bad outwardly, yet there is a difference between Lazarus and Dives when they die. Dives goes to his place, and Lazarus to heaven. But for the most part this is true : in regard of the body of the church (though, some few members, God hath hidden ways to bring them to heaven and happiness ; but for the body of his church and dear children), ' he will give them their lives for a prey,' Jer. xxi. 9. He will have a special care of them and be a sanctuary to them. Nay, so far he will do it, that the world shall know that he hath a special care of them in the world ; as it is in the psalm, the heathen shall say, ' God hath done great things for them,' Ps. cxxvi. 2. Men that have no religion shall say. Certainly God doth great things for these men. Though he suffer them to be carried captive and to be in affliction, yet in that very affliction shall be the glory of the church, in that very bondage and abasement. Was the church ever more glorious than in Babylon, when Daniel was there, and the ' three young men' were put into the fire ? The glory of the church ofttimes is in outward abasement. The world shall see that God hath a special care of them more than of others. God so magnifies himself, and is so marvellous to his church and children, to do good to them sometimes, to the envy of the enemies, and admiration of all the world that take notice of them, as at the return from the captivity ; and the like shall be at the conversion of the Jews.