If this principle be well laid, it is a ground of a Christian's courage in all conditions whatsoever. It is no matter how many enemies he hath ; for as Cyprian saith, K on potest secuhnn, dx.: the world cannot hurt him that in the world hath God for his protector. For the devil, he is crushed already. Though he keep ado, and stir up storms, he perisheth in the waves, as he saith. He hurts himself more than anybody else; he in- creaseth his own torment, and so do all his children. The flesh likewise it bustles against the Spirit, but it loseth; and the Spirit gains upon every foil. ^Tiy ? Here is the principle, ' God is with us.' There is no power can resist God, for then God should withstand himself. The power that the creature hath, it is but a borrowed power; and if by a bon-owed power it should withstand God's pui-pose, God must be against himself, his king- dom must be divided, which is a contradiction. Therefore this is the ground of the courage of a Christian in all conditions. What is the reason that the Scripture hath this phrase so often, ' Fear not, I am with thee,' as to Paul, and Joshua, and the rest ? Because it is the ground of all
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courage. We see weaker creatures than man : a dog in the sight of his master, he will fight courageously, because he hath a superior nature by him, that he thinks will back him. And shall not a Christian, when ho hath laid up this principle, that God is with him, God incarnate, God in his nature, when he is a member of God as it were, of that person that is God, shall he not be courageous when he hath him to look upon him, and to back him ?
And if God be with us, he is not so with us as to neglect us. He is so with us as he hath interest in the cause we have, and in our persons. He is with us as one with us, nay, as in us by his Spirit, and whosoever toucheth us toucheth the apple of his eye : ' Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? ' Here is ground of courage in whatsoever may befall us, to stand it out in all conditions whatsoever. Nothing can sever Christ and a Christian ; this body will never be beheaded ; Christ will never be sepa- rated from his body; he w'ill not lose the poorest member he hath. You see it is the duty of a Christian to be courageous and undaunted in the cause of God; and from this ground, because God is with him, and 'who can be against him?' Let all the world be against God, and against the cause that a Christian professeth, they do but kick against the pricks. They dash against a rock; as the waves that break themselves, they do not hurt the rock a whit. They do but cast stones upward, that fall upon their heads again. Therefore it is a desperate cause that malicious spirits manage, who have more parts than grace, and arm themselves and their wits to hurt the people and church of God, and slander his cause, and do all the hurt they can.
It is a ground likewise of encouragement in our callings. When God calls us to anything in our places that is good, he will be with us. There- fore in our places and standing, let us do that that belongs to us ; let us not fear that we shall want that which is necessary, or miscarry any way. When Moses pretended he could not speak, ' Who gives a mouth ? ' saith God to him, Exod. iv. 11. Therefore let us take courage, not only in sufiering and opposition, but in our places and standings. God will be with us; he gives his angels charge to keep us in our ways, Ps. xci. 11. We have a guard over us.
Here is a ground likewise of all contentment in any condition in the world. What can be sufficient to him that God cannot suffice ? God, all-sufficient, is with thee ; thou canst want nothing that is for thy good. Thou mayest want this and that, but it is for thy good that thou wantest it: ' Those that fear God shall want nothing that is good,' Ps. xxxiv. 11. It is a ground of all contentment, God is with them, to fiU their souls to utmost. He is made for the soul, and the soul for him; for our end is to have communion with God in Jesus Christ here, and everlastingly in heaven. God is fitted for us, and we for him. Here is fresh comfort for the soul alway : he can fill up every corner of the soul, he is larger than our souls. Therefore let us be content ; in what condition soever we are in, God is with us. Therefore ' let the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, guard our hearts,' Philip, iv. 7; even from this very ground and conclusion, ' God is with us, who can be against us ? ' Let Moses be cast into a basket of bulrushes, if God be with him, he shall not be drowned. Let Daniel be cast into the den, if God be with him, God will come between the lions' teeth and him. Let the three blessed men be cast into the fiery furnace, a fourth shall be with them, and keep them from the hurt of the flame. Let God be with Noah, he shall swim upon