Of EleEfion. w Who a\lo ~>i<-c> ;Ills a> l pnt:lzrlr jltte and office to himfclf in a fpecial manner, llooK IV, to be T!Je f(crpa of nit tbr llrael of God. And tt titat be tuo lfldthnne, he ~ parricularl) lmngs it home untonery Saint for their comfort t11ice, The Lord "thy l(eepe,.; that is, of the whole !jraet of God in general, and ol every Soul ot tllat number, and Ju tberr l(ecper, as of none elfe in the World : 1\ Keeper fo vigil am continually, that he never fo much asf!umbers, or !huts an eye, much kCs.flerptth. . Tr.e firength ol which attemion is fpeur on thts , To k_up th;·Soul ·frotn evtl. SoVerje 7· The Lord }halt prejerve them jr 071, all ev1t, he foal! prcferve th)' Sottl; tllat is, from fuch evils as would be ce– flructive thereof~ and of that !late of grace thou an in, that is his chiefdt Charge. And with thts attention thus 10 preferve thee, he luth an eye upon thygomgs out, a11d thy commgs in. SoVerje utt. Go wltither thou wtlt: Yea and he adds, From thu ume fortbfor evtr more; that is ,either Jrom rite firlt of that time, when he took cnuge ot thee, and thou didlt b< gin to give thy felt' up to his care, ever after, even for ever. Or rather, eo thou begin 10 reckon at any time !ince thy Calling, Evm from this 11ow, th" prejem tmu; and fo for ever. Now when thou art fo old, and he bath l<ept thee fo long ; and thou haft (as to thy thoughts) fooften forlettedhts proted1on of thee; yet he renews the Guard over thee ; h1s Care fots h1s watch continually as !lrict as ever, even from thu time, f!;c. and tbat for ewr. It 10deed, as 1r is faid in the Gofpel, Wbilflthe HwbatJdma11 jltpt, (!)c. fo that there "ere bur one moment, the twinldingof an eye, in which his eye might be off from thee, or carelefs of thee, there might be Suppofition, That thts our Adverjiz– >')' tbe 'Devil might h•ve an Advantage to devour thee, to chop tpy Soul up in a moment; but God never !lumbers: I tht Lordknp tt dr!Y mJd 1llj£bt,lja 1, 2. 7· ~· And if that be !lot enough, he adds, everymomwt. Nor, 2. Is it his Eye only that is intent upon them, as at a diflance · but his Prefence continually accompanies them. Yeo, it is further expreired ,'as by a continual <lllendtmceon us, Pfal. 2 ~· 4· Tbough I walk through the Vallt;' of the jbadow of death, I wi/J fear 110 evil, for_thott art witb me. Sheep wan– dring in dark places, (to which that whole Pfalm alludes) are obnoxious to be preys unto wtld B?!ajls: But if the Shepherd be With them , there is · 00 danger to be lure. If God (my Shtpberd, verfe 1.) that is gre.tter than a/! be with us, none need be feared. •.' Yea, fo watchful is he, as wherever we go, he is faid to follow m; even as one whofe place (or duty) it is to attend a perfon committed to him. Thus verfe the lafl of that Pfa!m, Sure!)•mercy atzdgoodnefi jhalt followme all the days of my life , to fee to me, and look afrer me. And if Mercy and Goodnef~ it felf undertake this task and charge, we iJJal! be as furely kept. Thus Pattl alfo; Not I, but thegrace of God tbalts with me. He fo fpcaks of it, as his Guardian Alliflant that accompanied him. The Phrafe is fir!\ ufed of the Patriarchs: And indeed next, to that Fundamental of the Covenant, I wilt 6eyotsr-God. The ufual Promife to the Patriarchs was, That God was and would be with them. An Heathen obfervcd it of Abra– bnm, Gen. 21. a. A11dit came to pa{s at that timt, that Abimclech, mtd Phichol tbechlej Captain of his Ho{/, fpakt u11to Abraham, jayi~tg, God i< witb thte i11 att that thou dofl, After that, he was the fame to !(miC; 1witt bt withrhu, a11dblefs thee, Gen. z6. ~. 2.4. After thar, to ]acob, Gen,28. 1 ~, Behold, I ''mwitb tbee, rmd wilt kup thee, i11 att pl,tces whither that~ goej/. A11d I wilt 110t leave thee. To mention no more. ~- Not by his Prefenceonly, but taldng us into fure and fafc cullody, which Peter mentions here alfo; fpeaking of the migbty ha11d, Verj: 6, of that God that cares for tu, Vtrj. 7· 1. Holding us by the hand, and that continually; fee Pfal. 7l· 2. ~.I am co1Jtim~<•!Jy with th<e; tbot< bafl holdtn mt by my right bn11d. Nay , and it is hu rif!.ht haud too, that holds thee by thy right hmtd: So Pjnl. 'l9· w. Pjat.I8.lJ.and thatto j'ttve thee, Pjal. q8, 7· And
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