(4.) And with provisions, protection likeivise ; and therefore make this use of it. In the temptations of Satan, lie under the wing of our Father. Wo have a Father to go to ; make use of him, make use of his protection, that God would shield us, that he would be a tower, as ho is a tower, and ' the righteous man may fly to him,' Prov. xi. 8. Lie under his wings. He is a gracious Father, and he hath taken this sweet relation on him for this purpose, that we may have comfort in all conditions. You see then what we may expect from God, by .this sweet relation he hath taken on him in Christ, to be our Father.
II. This word, it is a ivord of relation. It bindeth God to us and us to God, We are to honour him as our Father. This one word is sufficient to express our duty to a father, and that is a word of reverence ; for it in- cludeth a mixed affection of fear and love. And it is an affection of an inferior to a superior. He is great, therefore we ought to fear him. He is good, therefore we ought to love him. There is with him beams of majesty and bowels of compassion. As there is beams of majesty, we ought to fear him ; as bowels of compassion, we ought to love him. So that fear and love mixed together is the affection we owe to God as our Father. If we tremble, and are afraid to go to him, we know not he is loving. If we go to him over-boldly and saucily, we forget that he is great. There- fore we must think of his greatness, that we forget not his goodness. We must so think of his goodness, that we forget not his greatness. There- fore go boldly to him, with reverence to the throne of Christ. In the word * Father,' there is more saving power than in ten thousand. It toucheth his very bowels. When a child wanteth anything, and is in distress, let it
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but say, Father, or Mother, and the parents yearn upon him. If God be our Father, go to him boldly ; but with reverence go with affiance* to his bowels. Oh, it is a persuasive word ! "What cannot we look fromf that majesty that hath condescended to be called ' Father,' and to be a Father to us in all our necessities ? Either we shall have what we want and lack, or else we shall have that which is better. He is a wise Father. He answereth not always according to our wills, but always according to our good. He seeth it is for our good that we are not presently comforted. The physician giveth a sharp potion. Oh, I cannot endure ! And the chirurgeon lanceth. Oh, I cannot endure it ! But the chirurgeon knoweth it is not healing time. Even so we would be presently taken off from under crosses ; but God is a wise Father, and knoweth how long it is fit for us to continue under the cross.
Come to him boldly therefore, under the name of a father, that he may move his bowels, and surely will hear us. For in Ps. xxvii. 10, when all forsook me, ' My father and mother forsook me, but the Lord took me up.' Fathers in the flesh, and mothers, die, but the Lord taketh us up._ He is an eternal Father, and therefore a ground of eternal boldness with God, and of everlasting comfort. He was our Father before we had a father in the world, and he will be our Father when we shall cease to be in the world, They be but instruments under God to bring us into the world. God is our true Father. Our other fathers are but under God, to give us a being, to fit us for heaven. He provideth the best inheritance and paternity for us in heaven. And therefore never be disconsolate, but remember, ' I go to my Father and your Father,' which is a word of eternal comfort. He was our Father from eternity in election ; he will be our Father to eternity in glorification, ' Can a mother forget her child ? yea, though she should, yet can I not forget thee, thou art written in the palm of my hand,' Isa. xlix. 15, 16. God hath us always in his eye. A mother cannot always think of her child. She sleepeth sometimes ; but God is a Father that never sleepeth. ' The keeper of Israel neither slumbereth nor sleepeth,' Ps. cxxi. 4. And this is our comfort in all times and for eternity. And therefore we ought to carry ourselves to God reverently, and go boldly to him, and always make use of him.
And this we should learn likewise, to maintain a sweet frame between God and us. Shall God open such an advantage to us ? Shall God be our Father, and bear the gracious eternal aff"ection of a father ? and shall not we, by prayer and faith, fetch from our Father all we stand in need of? As our Saviour saith, 'You that be earthly fathers, when your children ask such a thing, will you deny ?' Mat. vii. 9, 10. And have we a Father so rich, so loving, and shall not we have intercourse with him in our daily necessities ? What a trade is open to us, if we know what a comfort is laid up in the sweet relation of a father ! ' Your Father knoweth what we stand in need of,' Mat. vi. 8, and he will give thee the spring of all graces, not only a broken heart, a spirit of life and vigour in his service, but go to God and he will give thee his Holy Spirit, which is the best thing next Christ that can be. And therefore be encouraged to make intercourse between thee and God, considering we have a brother in heaven, our nature is there, and our spirit is below. We have the best things in heaven, next Christ, on earth, and God hath our flesh in heaven by Christ ; and there- fore why should we not be much in prayer, and much in praises in all our necessities ? Beloved, it is a comfort of that largeness that I cannot express * That is, ' trust.'— G. t Q^. ' look for him ' ?— Ed.