surrender them at his call^" Our days are protracted to an ad- vanced age, if he be pleased to uphold us ; if not, our course is finished as soon as ever it is commenced. It is " in God, and in God alone, that we live, and move, and have our being*."]
But though these ideas are certainly comprehended in the text, its more immediate scope is to declare,
IT. Our security in God —
We have already observed, that the words of the text were introduced by David as a consolatory reflection, under the cruel treatment which he had received from friends and enemies. We are there- fore taught by them to assure ourselves,
1. That none can destroy us before our time — •
[We appear to be, yea, we really are, in the midst of many and great dangers. But however we may be- encompassed with enemies, they cannot prevail against us till the Lord's time for our removal is come. David was continually exposed to the rage and jealousy of Saul, who repeatedly cast a javelin at him, and hunted him incessantly with armed hosts " like a partridge upon the mountains." Yet though he was often in the most im- minent danger**, and certainly would have been betrayed by the men of Keilah % yet God watched over him, and kept him in perfect safety. Many sought to apprehend our Lord; but " they could not lay hands on him till his hour was come^ :" and even then Pilate '^ could have had no power against him, unless it had been given him from above ^." Paul was in perils innumerable, *' and in deaths off*:" once he was stoned, and even left for dead**; but none could take away his life, till he had finished the course marked out for him. Thus we also are immortal, till our work is done. We are surrounded with " chariots of fire and horses of fire'^:" yea, ^^ God himself is a wall of fire round about us*^." And sooner shall successive bands of enemies be struck dead upon the spot by fire from heaven % than one of the Lord's little ones shall perish ^"]
2. That none shall hurt us without his permission —
[As we depend on God for our happiness as well as for our
existence, so are both our being and our well -being secured by
him. Satan could not touch the person or the property of Job,
till he had obtained leave of God to do so s. " Nor can any
weapon
• Luke xii. 20. * Acts xvii, 28. " 1 Sam. xxiii. 26.
" ib. ver, 11, 12. ^ John vii. 30. & viii. 20. Luke xiii. 33.
" John xix. 11. "2 Cor, xi. 23 — 27. '' Acts xiv. I9, 20.
' 2 Kin. vi, \T, -^ Zech. ii. 5. " 2 Kin. i. 10—12.
^MaU. xviii. 14. » Job i. 12. & ii. 6.
350.] OUK TIMES IN god's HAND. 87
weapon that is formed against us, prosper''," any further than our God shall see good to permit it. " His angels encamp round about us'," and have an especial charge to " keep us in all our ways, tliut we dash not our foot against a stone""." " Neither the arrow that flieth by day, nor the pestilence that walketh in darkness, can hurt us. Thousands may fall at our side, and ten thousands at our right hand ; but it shall not come nigh us'."
We are not indeed at liberty to rush needlessly into danger, from an exjjectation that God will deliver us ; (this were to " tempt the Lord our God™;") but in the path of duty we have nothing to fear : we may " tread upon the lion, the adder, or the dragon";" we may drink poison itself °, or suffer ourselves to be committed to the' flames, without experiencing the smallest injury 1": nothing in the whole universe can "harm us, if we be followers of that which is goodi;" if God see fit to keep us, we are as safe "in a den of lions" as in a house of friends.]