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Edom.* So Rev. xii. 16. the dragon, and those acting under him, spirited by him, were in a furious endeavour for the de- struction of the church ; God stirs up the earth to her assist- ance, even men of the world, not engaged with others in the design of Satan, and, by their opposition, hinders them from the execution of their designed rage. Of this nature seems to be that dealing of God with his own people, Hos. ii. 6, 7. they were in the pursuit of their iniquities, following after their lovers ; God leaves them for awhile to act in the folly of their spirits, but he sets a hedge and a wall before them, that they shall not be able to fulfil their designs and lusts.
(4.) God obviates the accomplishment of conceived sin, by removing or taking away the objects on whom, or about whom, the sin conceived was to be committed. Acts xii. 11. yields us a signal instance of this issue of provi- dence. When the day was coming wherein Herod thought to have slain Peter who was shut up in prison, God sends and takes him away from their rage and lying in wait. So also was our Saviour himself taken away from the murderous rage of the Jews before his hour was come, John viii. 59. X. 39. Both primitive and latter times are full of stories to this purpose. Prison doors have been opened, and poor creatures appointed to die have been frequently rescued from the jaws of death. In the world itself, amongst the men thereof, adulterers and adulteresses, the sin of the one is often hindered and stifled by the taking away of the other. So wings were given to the woman to carry her into the wil- derness, and to disappoint the world in the execution of their rage. Rev. xii. 14.
(5.) God doth this by some eminent diversions of the thoughts of men who had conceived sin. Gen. xxxvii. 24. The brethren of Joseph cast him into a pit, with an intent to famish him there : whilst they were, as it seems, pleasing themselves with what they had done, God orders a company of merchants to come by, and diverts their thoughts with that new object from the killing to the selling of their brother, ver. 26, 27. And how far therein they were sub- servient to the infinitely wise counsel of God, we know. Thus also, when Saul was in the pursuit of David, and was even ready to prevail against him to his destruction, God stirs up the Philistines to invade the land, which both di-
OF INDWELLING SIN. 13&
verted his thoughts, and drew the course of his actings an- other way, 1 Sara, xxvii. 27.
And these are some of the ways whereby God is pleased to hinder the bringing forth of conceived sin, by opposing himself and his providence to the power of the sinning creature. And we may a little in our passage take a brief view of the great advantages to faith and the church of God, which may be found in this matter. As,
[1.] This may give us a little insight into the ever-to- be-adored providence of God, by these and the like ways in great variety obstructing the breaking forth of sin in the world. It is he who makes those dams, and shuts up those floodgates of corrupted nature, that it shall not break forth in a deluge of filthy abominations to overwhelm the crea- tion with confusion and disorder. As it was of old, so it is at this day ; * Every thought and imagination of the heart of man is evil, and that continually.' That all the earth is not in all places filled with violence, as it was of old, is merely from the mighty hand of God working effectually for the obstructing of sin. From hence alone it is, that the highways, streets, and fields, are not all filled with violence, blood, rapine, uncleanness, and every villany that the heart of man can conceive. O the infinite beauty of divine wis- dom and providence in the government of the world ! For the conservation of it asks daily no less power and wisdom than the first making of it did require.
[2.] If we will look to our own concernments, they will in a special manner enforce us to adore the wisdom and efficacy of the providence of God, in stopping the progress of conceived sin. That we are at peace in our houses, at rest in our beds, that we have any quiet in our enjoyments, is from hence alone. Whose person would not be defiled or destroyed ? whose habitation would not be ruined ? whose blood almost would not be shed, if wicked men had power to perpetrate all their conceived sin ? It may be the ruin of some of us hath been conceived a thousand times. We are beholding to this providence of obstructing sin, for our lives, our families, our estates, our liberties, for whatsoever is, or may be, dear unto us. For may we not say sometimes with the psalmist, Psal. Ivii. 4. 'My soul is among lions, and I lie even amony; them that are set on lire, even the sous
140 THE NATURE AND POWER