266 FAITH BUÍLT ON KNOWLEDGE. christian, what could the impotent maliceof creatures avail, ifthe Creator forbid their violence; or if he who made them encom- pass the saint round as with a wall of brass, and cover him as with a shield ? And what can Satan, the tempter or the de- stroyer do, if Jesus hold him in his chain; and forbid him to come nigh the believer ? The lion of the great deep cannot so much as roar, to affright the meanest lamb of the flock, without the per- mission of Christ their Shepherd. He can neither tempt us from our duties, nor rifle us of our comforts, if the Son of God com- mand him to silence. And what areall the angels in heaven but the servants of Christ, " all ministring spirits, sent forth to se- cure them that are heirs of salvation ?" Heb. i. 14. What is there within us, or without us, in heaven, earth, or hell, that can endanger our happiness, if he that is one with God, and almighty, undertake to save us ? To him therefore we commit this great undertaking. 2. He has inconceivable treasures of knowledge, and wis- domunsearchable. He takes notice of the most secret and dis- tant dangers to whichhis favourites canbe exposed : Hell is naked before him, and the dark counsels of destruction have no cover- ing : He confounds all thepolicies of darkness, andknowshow to infatuate Satan, themost subtile spirit, when he contrives mischief against the saints. And when our own hearts, for want of fore- sight, run giddily, and wander into snares, he can surround us withdivine light for the recovery of our wanderings, and guide us in a safe pathhomewards. " Thehidden workings of sin inihe inmost chambers ofthe soul are open to his eyes ; Heb. iv. 12, 13. And he knows how to prevent it from bringing forth fruit unto death ; but on the other hand, his own counsels are laid unsearch- ably deep ; nor can all hell fathom or undermine them. He is supposed to be represented under the character of wisdom, shew- ing herpower ; Prov. viii. 14. " Counsel is mine, and sound wisdom : I amunderstanding, I have strength. He knows how to deliver the godly out of every temptation, and to preserve them to his own kingdom. This glorious person is fit to be trusted with the infinite concernsof weak and ignorant creatures. 3. His love, and compassion, and willingness to take the charge of souls, is equal to his wisdom and power. Though this he not expressed in the text, yet it is necessarily included, for how couldthe apostle say with joy, I know whom I have trusted, if he knewonly that he was able to save, without believing him willing ? Orwhy should St. Paul trust him with so valuable a thing as his eternal welfare, if he did not know him compas- sionate as well as mighty? But his willingness is abundantly evident by all that he did, and Lail that he suffered, to procure salvation for us, for he tell us it was the very design of his
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