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Now, when Christ takes the church, and goes to new-form it, and fashion it more for the glory of God, there is the foundation-promise made in the New Testament : "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it," Matt. xvi. 18. If that obscure promise under the Old Testament did secure Zion, as to all those things before mentioned, four thousand years, shall not we trust to this promise of our Saviour for half the time ? though it is, indeed, the continuance of the same promise ; for "the gates of hell" is the seed of the serpent, and the " rock" is Christ. That is the second bulwark of Zion. We may be shaken in our faith and confidence, but we have the promise of God, that hath supported it thus far in the world, and will certainly preserve it to the end.
3. There is the watchful providence of God over the church. It is expressed, Deut. xi. 12, where the land of the church is said to be " a land which the Lord thy God careth for : the eyes of the Lord thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year unto the end of the year." That land which is the possession of the church, the seat of God's worship, the church itself, is what the Lord careth for. And it is expressed again to the same purpose, Isa. xxvii. 3, where this land is called God's vineyard, " I the Lord do keep it; I will water it every moment : lest any hurt it, I will keep it night and day." There is the watchful providence of God over the church, night and day preserving it; which providence, indeed, we live upon, though it is secret and invisible to us. There is power in it; but " God hides his power." We see little, we are not able to discern any thing to purpose, of the secret emanation of divine power and wisdom through the hearts and counsels of all mankind, to this end, that God may preserve his church, governing their affections, ruling their thoughts, turning and overturning their counsels ; — things that will never appear nor come to light, what was their occasion and ends, till the great day when the thoughts of all hearts shall be dis- covered. The Lord will keep and preserve his church, that none may hurt it.
4. Another bulwark is God's special presence. God is in an especial manner present in his church. I have treated concerning the nature and special presence of God and Christ in the church, and proved it from many promises, and showed the effect of it ; which I shall not now insist upon, but only show that this is a bulwark of the church. In Isa. viii. 9, 10, there is a gauntlet thrown out to all the adversaries of the people of God, and a challenge to do their worst: " Associate yourselves, O ye people, and ye shall be broken in pieces ; and give ear, all ye of far countries : gird yourselves, and ye shall be broken in pieces. Take counsel together, and it shall come to nought ; speak the word, and it shall not stand." What is the reason ? " For
318 THE BEAUTY AND STRENGTH OF ZION.
God is with us." The presence of God is with his church. Every- thing of force, of counsel, of association and agreement, — all shall be broken and come to nought ; they shall have no effect. And he gives this only reason, " Because God is with us." While God is with his church, it may be exercised with great trials, so that they may think they have lost the presence of God; as in Judges vi. 12, " The angel of the Lord appeared to Gideon, and said unto him, The Lord is with thee. Oh my Lord," saith he, " if the Lord be with us, why then is all this befallen us?" — " Whence is all this evil come upon us, that we should be under the power of the Midianites, oppressed and destroyed by them ?" He could not believe that if God was with them, according to his promise, they could be so prevailed upon by their enemies. Great things of trouble may befall the church of God while God is present with them ; so as they may be ready to say some- times, " My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God: the Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." " It cannot be," saith Gideon, " that God is with us, if we be thus ruined." But he will appear and manifest himself, for the protection of Zion.
5. The last bulwark, unto which all others may be reduced, is the covenant of God : " For this God is our God." — " That God who hath fortified Zion in all other generations, and wrought these deliverances, he is our God in covenant."
I shall not need to reckon any more than these five bulwarks of the church. Ponder and consider whether they are like to work out its preservation and protection. And if God gives us wisdom to single out these things, and consider them aright, we shall soon see what encouragement we have to pray for the preservation and protection of the church, however it may be attacked and attempted, even this day ; — which is our present business.