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ing with God, ruling for God, and faithful to him, they shall never be prevailed against by outward persecution in any place ; unless it be in subserviency to the hidden design of sovereign wisdom to re- move the gospel wholly from such a place. This, then, is the second rule: and we can never fathom, and so must be in the dark, whether the church in this or that particular place shall be absolutely pre- served ; because, if God pleases, he can make the total scattering to be a means subservient to the spreading of the gospel. But so far as they walk with God, they are within this protection.
(2.) The church's danger lies in the destruction that may come upon places where they are, for national sins. There were in the days of Jehoiakim and Zedekiah, " good figs at Jerusalem, very good figs, even as the first ripe figs," Jer. xxiv. 2, — that is, there were many precious saints of God, — and there were also " evil figs, so evil that none could eat them ; " and yet God puts all these figs into a basket, good and bad, and all must go into captivity. He could no longer forbear, for the provoking sins of the nation ; the whole must go into captivity together. Now, if such a season may come upon any place, as hath upon many nations deservedly because of national sins, the good may suffer with the bad, and churches may receive a scattering.
(3.) The third danger is their own apostasy. There is not any thing in the world that we ought to be more afraid of than of a church's scattering in an apostatizing condition. Then we shall bear the burden of our guilt in our scattering, and be clean taken off from all means of retrieving it. But there is an interest of all particular churches walking with God in this preservation and protection that is here promised and described to be round about Zion ; and it is an act of mere sovereignty where God dealeth otherwise with them. That is the preservation and protection of the church, in answer to the first inquiry.
II. The second question is, — What is it to search after and con- sider the causes and means of this preservation? Where shall we look for it?
To this I answer, —
1. Be sure to take off your search and consideration from those things which are not, and will not, prove to be the bulwarks of Zion. You know how they were blamed in such a case, Isa. xxii., in a time of great distress and invasion that was coming upon them. The prophet tells you what the people did, verse 8, etc., " He discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest. Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many; and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool. And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.
SI 4 THE BEAUTY AND STRENGTH OF ZION.
Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool; but ye have not looked unto the Maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago/'' Looking unto carnal aids and helps in straits and difficulties hath been our folly. The first thing in this call to look to Zion, is, to " cease from man, whose breath is in his nostrils; for whereof is he to be accounted?"
2. Where shall we look for these bulwarks? We must look for the protection of the church where we look for the destruction of its adversaries. And where shall we look for that? The prophet tells us, Isa. xxxiv. 1 6, " Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read: no one of these shall fail, none shall want her mate: for my mouth it hath commanded, and his Spirit it hath gathered them." All the foregoing prophecy is concerning the utter destruction of Idumea in the type ; but of Babylon, Rome, Antichrist, in the anti- type. And the verses from 11 to 15 express the gathering of all the fowls of prey, dismal fowls, to dwell in the place. But how shall we know whether this will come to pass? Says the prophet, "Seek ye out of the book of the Lord, and read ; no one of these shall fail :" that is, no one particular judgment that God hath threatened in his whole book against his adversaries shall ever fail ; no, not in one cir- cumstance : neither the cormorant nor the screech-owl shall want her mate. Seek it out of the book of the Lord ; you will find it re - corded in these prophecies: and nothing shall fail there; for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it, and the Spirit of the Lord shall accomplish it. We are to look, therefore, and search for these de- fences, causes, and means of the protection of Zion, in the book of the Lord. This is " the tower of David, where hang a thousand shields, all shields of mighty men," Cant. iv. 4 ; where is recorded all the defence of the church and people of God. It is your duty to search in the book of God, and read, to see what are the causes and means of the protection and preservation of the church ; and when you have found them out, you are then to consider them. Want of consideration weakens our faith greatly. If you can find, by reading in the book of God, that there are such and such defences and bul- warks of Zion; our duty is now to consider whether they will hold out against the greatest attacks and attempts of Satan and all our adversaries. I speak what is plain, but very fit for this day. When you have found out these defences, bring them to the shield of faith, and obedience to God, and consider whether they are like to hold out ; consider each, and give judgment upon them. And if you judge they are so, then trust to them ; drive all you have, all your concerns, within the compass of these fortifications, and trust to them. And this may suffice in answer to the second question, — Where are we to search for the preservation and protection of the church?