Ver. 3 r. the 8th Chapter tó the ROMANS. 3, God, and his Caufe and Intereft in the World, Ifa. 41. t 1. Behold all they they that are, incenfed againfl thee, fhallbe afhamed and confounded; they fall be as nothing. Ufually we feel them fomething in the effe &s of their rage and malice ; yet they are as nothing to Faith : and therefore Faith fhould wink out all the terror of the creature, !fa. 5 r: 12, 13. Who art thou that thou fhouldfi be afraid of a man that (ball die, and the fin of man that ¡hall be made as graft- ; and forgettefl the Lord thy maker? Let God's favour and difpleafùre be well weighed and compared with Man's favour and difpleafure, and you will find little caufe and temptation ro divert you from your duty. We have à God of might to depend upon, who can preferve us not withflanding the malice of enemies.: there- fore why ( hould we bewray any fear or apprehenfions of dangers ? 2. Becaufe of God's love to his people: If he had never fo great power, yet if he were not willing and ready to help them, we could not draw any fecurity from thence. But we have no more reafon to doubt of this than of the former: God that is wile enough, and powerful enough to defeat all oppofuion, is an good enough to do it. Firfl, to knoweth their perfons, and their wants , and all their dangers and necefties, Matth. to. 29, 30, 31. Are not two sparrows fold for a farthing? and one of them ¡ball not fall, to the ground without your father : but the very hairs of your head are all numbred. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many fparrows, 'Tis fpoken to the Difciples, when Chrilt had firft fent them forth upon his meffage: What's the comfort ? The malice of men can extend no further than the Providence of God feeth fit to permit and order God bath the knowledg, care and government of the leaft things that belong to his peo." ple : Their lives are dearly valued by God, and (hall not be deftroyed by,any negligence and over-fight of his, or prodigally wafted. He that taketh knowledg of the leaf{ crea- tures, will much more take care of his fervants : So Pfal. 56.8. Thou tellert my mandrings put thou my tears inth, bottle are they nob: thy book? David at that time had been long' from home , flitting up and down from Wildernefs to Wildernefs, and Cave to Cave 5 but was God ignorant of his condition during the days of his Exile ? No : this was par- ticularly known and confidered by him : As if God had laid up all the tears that drop -. ped from him, and kept a fure Record and Regifler of all his forrows. Well then, f nce God knoweth all that befalleth them, will he be an idle fpedator, or make a party with them, to help and deliver them? Secondly, bow tender he is of them? Zech. 2.8. He that toucheth you, touchetbthe apple of his eye. The Eye is a tender part; Nature hath much guarded and fenced it : Now to meddle with them, is to touch the Apple of his Eye. The troubles of his people go near his heart. Certainly they that are again(} God's peo- ple, areagainft God himfelf: Benefits and Injuries asdone to them, God taketh it as done to him, Matth. 25.40. And the king ¡hall anfiner and fay onto them, Verily I fay unto you,` in as much as ye have done it to one of the leafI of theft my brethren, ye have done it unto- me. And Afts 9. 4. And be fettle the earth, and be heard a voice, faying, Saul, Saul, why perfecutefl thou me ? The Yews have a Proverb, What is done to a man's Apoille, is done to himfelf. Thirdly: 'Tis his ufual prailice in the difpeiefations of bis providence; namely, To regard them, and intend their good, 2 Chron. t 6. 9. The eyeì of the Lord run to and ;; fro throughout the earth, to ¡hem bimfeff tirong in the behalf of thole mhofe hearts are perfell'`. with bim. There is a delcription of Providence, and the perlons that have benefit by it. Providence is defcribed by the Eyes of the Lord g as the Egyptians in their Hiero. glypbicks did fee forth Providence by the Mum of an Eye ; God is all- Eye :, And thole Eyes are not reprefented as Phut up, or doled by fleep 5 bug as open, to note his vigilan. cy;' and in motion, as running to and fro, prying into every corner of the whole Earth, to note the particularity of his Providence; and the perlons who have benefit by it, are thole whole heatts are perfelt with him. The World (hall know that they aie under the proteftion of an Almighty and Alfufficient God: As to Knowledg, he is all eye; to as to Power all hand, which is the great comfort of his people. He will' (hew himfelf Prong; rnanifeff this Almighty power in preferving and proteáing them. Fourthly : 'Tis sect on- y the ordinary prailice of his love and free grace, but 'tis fecured by promife and covenant, Gen. 1,5. I. lam thy fhield, and thy exceeding great reward. And Phil. 84. r I. For the Lord God is a fun and a fbïeld; the Lord will give grace and glory, and no good thing will, be withhold from them that malkuprightly. As to pot-hive bleflings he is a Stin; as to prit vative blefii -e s he is a Shield : As to way an4 end ; by the way he is more a Shield, till we are ilaßer«s: hereafter more a reward' ; and an exceeding great reward, when our Sun is in the high Noon of glory. Well now: then'tis Blafphemy to fay, that either God cannot, or will not help us i If he cannot fave us, he is not God ; if he will not fave ùs, i:
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