them that put their trust in him, Psalm ix. 10. It is the only sure way to be safe; whereas, to perplex our souls with distrust, even about these outward things, dishonors God's faithfulness, and is the way to bring ruin upon ourselves. You see then what respect the word hath to this privilege, that God is a shield and a hiding place. The word discovers God under these figures, the word invites and encourages us to put God to this use, the word assures us of his divine protection, it directs us to the qualification of the persons that shall enjoy this privilege, "They that can trust God;" and it directeth us to expect the blessing, not with absolute confidence of success, but in humble submission to his will. This quiets the heart in waiting God's leisure. "Our soul waiteth for the Lord, he is our help and our shield," Psalm xxxiii. 26. If so, then faith is quietly to wait God's leisure; till he send deliverance, his promise must bear up our hearts, and we must be contented to tarry his time, our impatience must not make us outrun God. This will fortify the heart against present difficulties. When all visible helps are cut off, yet may we encourage ourselves in the Lord. When Israel were wandering in the wilderness, and had neither house nor home, then Moses, that man of God, pens that Psalm, "Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations," Psalm cx. 1. What was wanting to sense, they saw made up in the all-sufficiency of God. And here is the use of faith, when in defiance of all difficulties, we can see an all-sufficiency in God to counterbalance that which is wanting to sense. "Lord, thou art my shield and glory, and the lifter up of my head," Psalm iii. 3. David wrote this psalm when he was driven from his palace by his son Absalom; when he was in danger, God was his shield; when his kingdom and honor were laid in the dust, God was his glory; when he was under sorrow and shame, and enemies insulting over him ; when the people rose against him, and he was in great dejection of spirit, "God was the lifter up of his head." This is getting under the covert of this shield, or within the compass of this hiding place: "Into thy hands I commit my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth," Psalm xxxi. 5. David was then in great danger, the net was laid for him, as he said in a former verse, when he was likely to perish, what does he do? he casts all his care upon God, and trusts him with his life, his safety: "Into thy hands I commit my spirit.” and The use of faith is to quicken us to go on cheerfully in our path, and with a quiet heart resting on God's love, power, and truth. To persuade us to contentment in a time of trouble, though our condition be not what we desire, yet if we have but a hiding place, if God vouchsafe us a little liberty in our service, we ought to be content, if he will give us safety though not plenty,for here is not our rest. God never undertook in his covenant to maintain us in such a state, nor thus to enlarge our earthly portion; if he will vouchsafe a little peace and safety to us during the time of our pilgrimage we ought to be content. And unless God be our hiding place, the strongest defences in the world are not enough to keep us from danger. All the shifts we run into will only entangle us the more, drive us farther from God, and to greater suffering. Many thus run away from God's protection, and seek out means of safety for themselves; thus they do but plunge themselves into troubles so much the more; there is much sin and danger in departing from God; he can soon blast our confidences. God will blast our carnal shifts, Jer. xvii. 15-18. No hurt can come to us without God's leave. No creature can move or stir, not only but by God's permission, but by his influence: others may have a will to hurt us, but not the power, unless given them from above, as Christ told Pilate. Satan is a raging adversary against the people of God, but he is forced to ask leave before he can touch either Job's goods or his person; he could not touch his skin, nor anything that belonged to him, without permission from God, Job i. Nay, he must ask leave to enter into the herd of swine, Matt. viii. 31. Constantly then, make use of God. You may think this advice not needed by you, because you are at present out of fears and dangers; but what saith the scripture?" Be not high-minded but fear," fear,”—and again, "Blessed is the man that feareth always." Are you not constantly to make use of God, whether your state be well or ill, and to live upon God at all times? All our comforts are from God, as well as our support in trouble. Certainly, he that lives upon God in prosperity, will live upon him in adversity. Oh! when you are at ease and abound in all things, and consider Him as the author of all your happiness, and the giver of all your gifts, you will learn better to make Him your refuge when all things fail. But he that lives upon the creature in prosperity, when the creature fails will be in utter distress, and know not which way to turn for comfort, Jer. xvii. 13, 14. LXXXVI. When God's right arm is bar'd for war, Where, where, oh where! shall man retire, 'Tis he, the Lamb, to whom we fly, Thus, while we dwell in this low scene, While yet we sojourn here below, Yet courage-days and years will glide, Then pure, immortal, sinless, freed, And need no more a hiding place. LXXXVII. God, by afflictions, tries whether the faith of the christian be well grounded and saving, or whether it be weak or strong-whether it be able to stay itself only upon a promise, or whether it want the support of sense and visible enjoyments to bear it up-whether it be a faith that is wrought in him only by conviction, or a faith that is wrought in him through conversion -whether it be a faith wrought in him only by evidence of the truth, or a faith that is accompanied by a sincere love of the truth. And therefore, he should rejoice in sufferings that will help him to determine this important question. If his faith be such as will overcome the world, if it can persuade him to "esteem the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of the world,"-if it respect more the promises of God, than the threatenings of men-and future happiness, more than present comfort—if it can bear both the anvil and the furnace, this is a faith that is true and genuine ; and when it is thus tried, "will be found unto praise, and honor, and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter i. 7. And have you not then great cause to rejoice in afflictions, which afford you a means to know whether your graces be genuine or not?-whether they be such as will bear God's judgment and trial hereafter, by bearing affliction and chastisements here? Certainly that christian hath great reason to suspect himself who cannot rejoice that he is going to heaven, though God sends a fiery chariot to fetch him. And if thy sorrows add any degree of fortitude to thy patience, thou hast more reason to rejoice than to repine; for nothing in this present life is to be accounted good or evil, but only as it respects the advantage and disadvantage which our graces receive by it. Now, if God confirm and augment thy patience under sufferings, sufferings are mercies, afflictions are favors: he blesseth thee by chastisements, and crowneth thee with lovingkindness, even while he seems to crown thee with thorns. And wilt thou not triumph at this, O christian! especially considering the end of thy patience, which is hope, peace, and eternal life?-see that excellent scripture to this purpose, "We glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and hope maketh not ashamed," Rom. v. 3--5. And, from this we may observe, by-the-way, that it is far better to have patience under afflictions, than to be freed from them: it is more cause of joy to suffer the hand and will of God patiently, than not to suffer at all. It is not enough, O christians! that ye can bear some afflictions, and that only for a time; but if you will be perfect, you must suf |