Shall I give you one instance more ? David gives it us in his own person, Ps. xxxi. 9-13. He makes as sad a complaint of such a com- plication of distresses upon him as there is anywhere extant in the whole book of the Psalms. " Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble : mine eye is consumed with grief, yea, my soul and my belly," etc. I could easily manifest what a confluence of evil this holy man was now under. Within, iniquities prevailed, and the fear of them ; and without, friends forsook him, and enemies took counsel to take away his life. Whereunto doth he retreat? what doth he seek for relief in? what is the contrivance of this man of wisdom, and courage, and interest in the world? See verse 14, "But I trusted in thee, 0 LORD: I said, Thou art my God;" and this put an end to all his difficulties. But this matter I have hinted in a former sermon.
It were an easy thing to multiply instances, both of particular per-
THE BELIEVERS SUPPORT UNDER DISTRESS. 423
sons and the church in general, who were taught this wisdom of God, and knew this to be their duty, — to let go all other vain con- trivances, and to take up their relief only in the covenant of God ; as David doth here in the text.
Let us see a little more into the nature of it, that it may give us encouragement to our duty. And, —
First. When a man betakes himself for relief unto God's covenant, " he doth put God in mind of it," wherewith he is greatly delighted; because therein he hath wrapped up his greatest glory in this world, and God is greatly delighted to be put in remembrance of that wherein he hath wrapped up the glory of his grace. It was Jacob's argument, when he wrestled with God, and prevailed; as signal an instance of the work of faith, and the deportment of a believer under great distresses, as the whole Old Testament affords us (and is given as an example to confirm our faith, Hos. xii. 4) : " Thou saidst, I will surely do thee good," Gen. xxxii. 12. He put God in mind of what he had said to him when he made the covenant with him ; and you knoAv what a glorious issue it had. Jacob could not have done any thing more pleasing and acceptable unto God than to put him in remembrance of what, out of his goodness, grace, and bounty, he had promised; for he professes that " he was not worthy of the least of all the mercies and of all the truth which God had showed unto him." " I plead not any thing," says he, " of my own deservings; but, Lord, didst thou not say thou wouldst do me good?" God is greatly pleased with being remembered of the effects of his own grace, and wherein he hath wrapped so much of his own glory.
Secondly. As God would have us mind him of the covenant, " so his remembrance of it is still laid at the bottom of all the good he doth unto us," and of all the dispensations of his love and grace.
God made a covenant with Noah, and with all the world in him; wherein he gave the preservation of the world from a universal de- struction in covenant unto his saints; for the world is at this day, and to the last will be, preserved upon this account, that God hath given the preservation of it in covenant unto Noah, and to them that suc- ceed in the faith of Noah. But how comes it to pass that God will destroy this world no moi-e with a flood, when he had made this covenant ? Saith God, " I will set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a token of the covenant; and the bow shall be in the cloud, and I will look upon it, that I may remember the everlasting cove- nant between God and every living creature." It is spoken after the manner of men, when they have made an engagement that they will do such a thing; it may be out of their mind, but if you remind them of it by a token, then they will recover their memory, and do accord- ing to their engagement. Now, saith God, " I will take it upon
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myself to remind myself." And when he remembers the covenant, what will he do ? " Then I will restrain my wrath and indignation, and I will destroy the earth no more." The withholding of troubles, judgments, and desolations, is laid in God's remembering of the cove- nant. It is all comprised together, Luke i. 72-75, " To perform the mercy promised to our fathers, and to remember his holy covenant ; the oath which he sware to our father Abraham, that he would grant unto us, that we being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life." All deliverance from our enemies, of whom we are afraid; all communication of grace, and of spiritual strength, to enable us to serve God in holiness and righteousness; it all springs from this, — God's remembering of his covenant.