The Son of God Walking in the Fire with the Servants of God, Sermon 7
THE Seventh Sermon On DAN. III. XXV.
He anſwered and ſaid. Lo I ſee four men looſe, walking in the midſt of the fire, and they have no hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.The handling of the Doctrine laſtly named, is put off to the next Sermon, this not being preached in the ſame place with it.
FRom Nebuchadnezzars Teſtimony of this Miraculous Deliverance that God wrought for his Servants: This Propoſition was handled the laſt day: God often times works ſuch deliverance for his people, as he makes their very enemies to confeſs, that he hath done great things for them: He made the very Heathen to confeſs that God hath done great things for his people: When God did turn again our Captivity, in the 126. Pſalm, They ſaid among the Heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them. I will make them o… the Synagogue o… Satan (ſaith Chriſt) which ſay they are Jews and are not, but do lie, I will make them to come and worſhip before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee: but this P…nt is concluded; and therefore I ſhall proceed; For I deſire to keep time, and to be ſhort in theſe morning Exerciſes: Well then, let us go on, and look upon the Reſtraint that God layd upon the fire: Conſider the effect of Gods command, and the effect of his prohibition; God had given command that the fire ſhould not burn them, that the fire ſhoul… burn and diſſolve their chains, and their fetters that were upon them; they were caſt in bound, bound hand and foot; but God had commanded, and the fire obeys; it takes part with the three Children, to looſe their fetters, and ſet them at liberty; they were caſt in bound: And low, now ſays Nebuchadnezzar, I ſee four men looſe, God had layd a prohibition upon the fire, and it obeys the commandment, that it ſhould not burn them, that it ſhould not touch their, bodies it ſhould not ſtop their breath, that it ſhould not ſo much as ſinge one hair of their head, or ſcorch their garments, and the fire is obedient to the word of the Lord; they were walking in the midſt of the fire, and they had no hurt: I ſhall put the particulars together, becauſe I would make haſt, they hold forth this Propoſition.
Obſervat. 6.That at the Commandment of the Lord, the fierceeſt of Creatures ſhall not only not hurt his people, but ſhall take part with them, and do them good.
I ſay, At the command of the Lord, the fierceſt of Creatures, ſhall not only not hurt them, but ſhall ſide with his people, to take their part, and do them good: The fire cannot hurt, nay the fire takes part with them, nay the fire ſets them at liberty.
Firſt of all, I ſhall ſhew you that the Creatures▪ cannot hurt.
And then ſecondly, That they muſt of neceſſity take part with the Saints, and do them good.
Firſt of all, they cannot hurt; The water of the Red Sea, it could not deſtroy the Iſraelites; The Lyons, though fierce creatures, yet they could not open their mouths againſt Daniel: The moſt violent men of the world cannot hurt, when God lays a reſtraint upon them; you know Laban was not able to ſpeak ſo much as a hurtful word to Jacob▪ becauſe God met him, and layd a reſtraint upon him; Take heed that thou ſpeak to Jacob neit…er good nor evil: God would perſwade his people of this, in that 54. of Iſaiah, verſe, 15, 16. God would let them know that they were not able to lift up a weapon without him; nay, they could not ſo much as make a weapon without him; the Smith could not ſo much as blow the fire to form a weapon without the Lord; Thus ſaith God, I have power over all creatures, and over all the actions of creatures; a weapon cannot be lifted up, for the workman cannot ſo much as lift up his hand to blow the fire, unleſs God permit him; … Dog cannot bark againſt a man, unleſs God give leave, the barking of a Dog will do little …urt; yet a Dog could not ſo much as bark againſt Iſrael, when the Lord lay a reſtraint upon them; God would carry them quite out of the land of Aegypt, and not one Dog ſhould move his Tongue at them; as you may ſee in the 11. of Exodus, verſ. 7. you ſee the creature cannot do the leaſt hurt; for a Dog cannot do ſo much as bark, he cannot do ſo much as move his Tongue, when God lays a reſtraint upon them.
Secondly, The creature cannot hurt, but they muſt do good to Gods people, at his command; if the Lord will make choice of any creature to do his people good, he will effect his own deſign, it cannot be hindered, he will do them good by any thing he will do them good by any creature; by the moſt violent creature: Who would have thought that the fire ſhould have done theſe three children good? that the fire ſhould take their part? and yet the fire at the command of the Lord, does looſe their bonds, and ſets them at liberty: Who would have thought that the waters at the red Sea ſhould have done the Iſraelites good? and yet they were abundantly uſeful to them in their paſſage through the red Sea; you ſhall read in the 14 of Exodus, verſ. 22. that the children of Iſrael walked through the Sea, and the waters were a wall to them on the right hand, and on the left; the creature that might have been their deſtruction, became ſecurity to them; their way was made ſtrait to them, they could not go out of their way, for the Sea was a wall to them on the right hand, and on the left: Who would have thought that the Ravens ſhould have done Elia… ſo much good? that the hungry Ravens, creatur… that are of ſo greedy an appetite, ſhould ſpar… meat out of their own bodies, to feed the Prophet? yet ſo it was, as you may read in the firſt book of Kings, 17. verſ. 6. God makes the very Ravens to be careful Nurſes to Elias; when he was in the Wilderneſs they brought him his meat in the morning, and in the evening: Who would have bin thought that the belly of the Whale ſhould have a protecting place to Johah? that it ſhould ſave him from deſtruction? yet God he made uſe of it, and he made the belly of the Whale to be a place of ſafety to Jonah, the Whale kept him ſafe till ſhe carryed him and ſet him on ſhore: So that you ſee God can do his people good by any creature, he can make them all to be uſeful. Sometimes he works by improbable means, and ſometimes by impoſſible means: I ſay, ſometimes God doth his people good by improbable means; to have Honey out of the Rock, and Oyl out of the Rock; you will ſay this is improbable, and yet this is his promiſe that is made to Iſrael in the 32. of Deuteronomy. verſ. 13. And he made him to ſuck Honey out of the Rock, and Oyl out of the flinty Rock: He ſpeaks of the fruitfulneſs of the Land of Canaan God made the barren places fruitful, and he made the very Rocks to bring forth, yea the very flinty Rocks to be fruitful; the Rocks gave them Honey, and the Rocks gave them Oyl: That is, (as I conceive) God made the very Rocks to bring forth trees, and trees brought forth pleaſant fruit, the Rocks brought forth the Olive Trees and the Date Trees, and ſo they had Honey out of the Rock, and Oyl out of the Rock. You know that it was impoſſible that Iſrael being carryed into Babylon, they ſhould be carryed again into their own Country, and while they were in Babylon, they ſeem to be in the grave: What a mercy was it that God ſhould ſtir up their enemies to be a defence to them? and to have them to be aſſiſting of them? and to ſtir them up to the work of the Lord, to work in the Temple? you know God wrought by that means: And ſo how improbable was it, that Joſephs accuſation by his Miſtreſs, that his fetters, his chains ſhould be his advancement? and you know God wrought that way, and he made Joſeph to be lift up, and made the ſecond man of Pharaohs Kingdom.
Yea God works ſometimes by Impoſſible means; you ſee it was impoſſible that the fire ſhould have been a protection to theſe three Children, to looſe their bands, and ſet them at liberty, and be a place to walk in; and yet it was at the command of the Lord. He can turn the very ſtones into bread; He can ſend bread out of Heaven, as to Iſrael; and give water out of the Rock, as to them in the Wilderneſs; He cannot only work without means, but by impoſſible means: And thus you ſee at the command of the Lord, all creatures muſt obey; He can do his people good by Improbable means, and by Impoſſible means;
For the Grounds of the Point; Why creatures The Grounds of the Point.cannot hurt, but they muſt do good to the people of God?
Firſt of all, Becauſe they muſt all go along with God; and where God is a friend, they muſt be a freind; where God will not hurt, they will not hurt, for they all go along with him: Balaam could not go againſt the word of the Lord: If Balack would have given him his houſe full of Gold and Silver, he could not go againſt the word of the Lord: and therefore when he would have had him curſed the people: Oh ſays Balaam, How ſhould I curſe, when God hath not curſed, and defie wh…n God hath not defied? This is the voice of all Creatures; how ſhall we curſe, when God hath not curſed? and how ſhall we hurt, when God hath not hurt? they are all obedient to the word of the Lord, to the command of the Lord; all creatures obey that word of the Lord that he gave them when he firſt created them; ſee the 148. Pſalm, what is ſpoken there of all the Creatures of God, they obey that Law he gave them.
Verſe 6. Who hath alſo eſtdbliſhed them for ever and ever, he hath made a Decree which ſhall not paſs.
Verſe 7. Praiſe the Lord from the earth you Dragons and de…p waters: And ſo in the 8. verſe, Fire and Hail, Snow and Vapours, ſtormy winds, fulfilling h…s word: They all obey that Law of God that God gave them, they all keep their bounds, they willingly obey the Word, the Command, of their Creator; and therefore it is that the Sun does riſe and ſet, that ſo might fulfil the word of the Lord; the Sea that ebbs and flows, and ſo all creatures they keek their Motion and their Station that ſo they may fulfil the word of the Lord; and keep that Law that God gave them at the firſt Creation, when he put them in order, and ſet them in their bounds. Yea, ſometime God doth give another word to them, he doth alter the Law that he made at their Creation; and he gives a new word of command, which is contrary to nature, and then alſo the creatures they obey that word of the Lord; See what God commanded in the ſecond Book of Kings. 20. 9. 10. verſes.
Verſe 9 And Iſaiah ſaid, this ſigne ſhalt thou hav… of the Lord, that the Lord will do the thing that he hath ſpoken; ſhall the ſhadow go forward ten degrees, or go backward ten degrees?
Verſ. 10. And Hezekiah anſwered, it is a light thing for the ſhadow to go down ten degrees; nay, but let the ſhadow return backward ten degrees.
Verſ. 11. And Iſaiah cryed unto the Lord; and he broughe the ſhadow tne degrees backward, by which it had gone down in the Dial of Ahaz.
See, God he can alter the Law of nature, and at his command, the Sun ſhall not only go forward, but it ſhall go backward; if God ſay, Sun ſtand ſtill, it ſhall not move; and if God ſay, Sun go back, it goe…h back ten degrees: Thus you ſee that all the creatures, they obey the word of the Lord, they fulfill every command of God; if he ſay to the winde, winde ariſe, ariſe and blow, it preſently fulfills his word; if he ſend them about any work, and he ſay, go and carry deſtruction upon your wings, to ſuch a party, to ſuch an enemy, they preſently fulfill the word of the Lord; and then if he ſay, go and blow ſuch a man profit, carry bleſſings in your wings, the winde that preſently fulfills the word of the Lord; they are all his creatures; therefore they muſt go along with the Lord; they are all his ſervants, and therefore they attend him; they are all the Army of the Lord; and all the Hoſt in Heaven and earth are his Army, and therefore they muſt obey the word of their General; they muſt obey his word of Command, they are all at his Command: And therefore I ſay, where God is a freind, the creatures they muſt needs be freinds, they cannot do hurt, for they all go along with God.
Secondly, The creatures they cannot hurt, but they muſt do good to the people of God, for God hath made a Covenant with all the creatures for his people; There is a League made with all the creatures, even with the meaneſt of creatures; God hath not left one out of the League: See the 5. of Job, verſe 23. For thou ſhalt be in league with the ſtones in the field, and the beaſts of the field ſhall be at peace with thee. Now becauſe God hath made a league with them▪ therefore of neceſſity, Fi…ſt of all they muſt do no hurt, for that is one end of their League and Covenant: When there was a League made between Laban and Jacob; ſee what is the end of it, Gen. 32. 52. and that thou ſhalt n…t paſs over this heap, and this pillar unto me for harm: that's the end of the League and Covenant, that ſo they that are in League and Covenant, may not harm one another: Now God hath made a Covenant for his people, with all the Creatures; that is, God he hath layd an Injunction upon them, that they ſhall not do the leaſt harm to his Servants.
Object. But you will ſay, may not Creatures be hurtful to the Servants of God? May they not periſh by fire and water, and have their lives taken away by Creatures? Was not Stephens life taken away by ſtones? how then does God make a League with the ſton…s in the field?
Anſw. I Anſwer, 'Tis true they may, when God commands them to take away the life of his own people; but ſtill I ſay, they cannot do them hurt, they do but take away their lives, if they could ſend them to the torments of Hell, ſend them to the pit of deſtruction, that would hurt them indeed; but they cannot hurt them, though they be inſtruments to take away the lives of the Saints, yet they do them no hurt; for they do but ſend t…em to their Fathers houſe, they help them the ſooner to God, to reſt in the Arms of Jeſus Chriſt, where they ſhall reſt for evermore.
Secondly. Becauſe there is a League with the Creatures, they ſhal do them good When Jehoſaphat entred into Covenant with Ahab, there was an ingaging to do all the good he could, my men are as thy men, my horſes as thy horſes, and all that's mine as thine: And ſo ſaith God to the Creatures, I have put ſo many particular good things, good qualities into your nature, that ſo you may convey them to my ſervants; and therefore I charge you be ſerviceable to them, give out all the good you can, let them enjoy all the good that I have given to you, for I made you for their ſakes: and therefore of neceſſity they muſt give out the good that God hath given them, they muſt do the people of God all the good they can, becauſe God hath made a Covenant with the Creature: And this Covenant that God hath made with the creature, is grounded upon the great Covenant, the everlaſting Covenant that he hath made with his people in Jeſus Chriſt, there comes in all the good that we receive by creatures; God hath made an everlaſting Covenant with his Son, in which he hath promiſed to be their God; to take them into Union and Communion with himſelf, to be their portion, and to give himſelf to them: And therefore becauſe God hath given himſelf to them, all creatures alſo are given to be uſeful and beneficial to them.
Thirdly, The Third Ground of the Point, The Creatures muſt needs do good, they cannot hurt, but they muſt do good to the people of God, becauſe of Gods watchful eye over them; the more hurtful and violent any creature is, the more doth the Lord ſet a watch over them, his providential eye is over his people; I ſay, the Lord doth watch over them with a ſpecial, providential eye: See what is ſaid in the Propheſie of Iſaiah, concerning his Vineyard; I the Lord will keep it, I will watch over it every moment, leaſt any hurt it: I will keep it night and day, leaſt any hurt it: I will keep it night and day: See then there is a ſpecial eye of providence over the Saints that are the Lords Vineyard; and therefore 'tis not poſſible the Creatures ſhould hurt it. God he watches over his Vineyard for this end, leaſt any hurt ſhould befall it; I will watch over it every moment; 'tis true other wicked men, they are kept from harm by a common providence of God, they have rheir lives preſerved; but ſtill 'tis but a common providence: But there is a ſpecial eye, and a ſpecial providence of God over his people, leaſt any hurt ſhould befall them; there is no time, no moment, that God doth lay aſide his watchful eye, and not watch over his people; And therefore there is no time that any harmful creature can ſtep in to his people to do them hurt; they all come under the providence of God, every creature comes under the providence of God; and therefore the Lord he is able to prevent the harm.
Fourthly, The Creatures they are all given to Jeſus Chriſt, as he is King, as he is the great King: All power is given to him in Heaven and earth: Now Chriſt he hath reconciled the Creatures, and therefore the crea…ures cannot be hurtful to the Saints; the Lord Jeſus Chriſt hath reconciled the creature: He hath reconciled all things in Heaven and Earth, and made them all friends; and therefore the creature ſhall not do harm to the people of God: See the Promiſe that is made to the Church, in a ſpecial manner it ſhall be fulfilled in the latter Ages; Hoſea 2. 18. And in that day will I make a Covenant for …hem with the beaſts of the field, a…d with the fouls of Heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the Bow, and the Sword, and the Battle cut of the …arth, and I will make them to lye do…n ſafely: This Promiſe is made to the Churches in the latter days. When they ſhall enjoy abundance of Jeſus Chriſt, when they ſhall ſhall enjoy abundance of Jeſus Chriſt, when they ſhall have abundance of the Spirit of Chriſt; why then ſhall thoſe promiſes be fulfilled in a great meaſure, they ſhall enjoy peace with the Creatures: In that day I will make a Covenant with them, in a ſpecial manner, with the beaſts of the field, and with the fouls of Heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground; and I will break the bow, and ſword; and there ſhall be no hurt in all my holy Mountain: we are all reconciled to God by the blood of Jeſus Chriſt; And therefore they cannot hurt the Saints, but do them good.
Briefly to make Application, and ſo conclude.
If the fierceſt of Creatures you ſee cannot hurt; Application.The fire it cannot hurt, but it muſt do good, when God commands; take notice then of the mighty power of the Lord: Oh know that he is a great King, and his name is dreadful over all the world; do but look upon the powerful command of God, what effect it hath upon the Creatures: 'Tis impoſſible they ſhould tranſgreſs, he hath ſet them bounds that they cannot paſs; they are all ready to obey his Command; if he ſay go, they go; and if he ſay come, they come; why this will make it evident. That God is a God of infinite power, to command ſo many Creatures, ſo many thouſand thouſand Creatures, as God doth order every day; and that God ſhould make them obedient to every command of his, that none can tranſgreſs the leaſt command; but they muſt fulfill his word; when he ſets them about it; Oh this declares that God is a God of infinite power, and doth what he pleaſeth.
Secondly, What a ſhame is it to the ſons of men that they will not ſubmit to the Lord? Will not the Creatures riſe up in judgment againſt men? When the Creatures fulfil the word of the Lord, and you diſobey the word of the Lord; ſhall God have more ſervice from ſenceleſs Creatures, then from the ſons of men, that was made Lord over them? Certainly this will be their iniquity another day, and the very creatures will condemn them: See what God ſays to that fire; fire, burn not: it cannot ſo much as touch the hair of the head: If God ſay to the fire, fire, burn their bands aſunder; ſet my children at liberty, the fire it burns their bands and fetters, and ſets them looſe, that they were able to walk in the midſt of the fire.
And ſo all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth, and the Sea, they all keep their bounds; Hitherto ſhalt thou go, and no further; the Sea, a raging Element, it obeys the word of the Lord: The Lord ſays to the Sun, Sun run thy race, it obeys; ſtand ſtill, it ſtands ſtill, and is obedient: Now ſhall all Creatures in their places obey the word of the Lord, and ſhall not man? Oh what a ſhame is this to the ſons of men, that they ſhould diſobey the word of the Lord? That God ſhould ſpeak but one word to the Creatures, and they ſhould obey, and that he ſhould ſpeak ſo many to the ſons of men, and they not obey: That God comes again, and again, and ſpeaks in his Ordinances, and ſtill man walks contrary to God: when he lays a command upon them; this is the command, That you beleeve in Jeſus Chriſt, and renounce all your own righteouſneſs, and rely upon the Righteouſneſs of the Son of God, and ſtill men diſobey: What a ſhame is it, for man to diſobey, and all the Creatures that the Lord hath given to him, to obey?
Thirdly, Here is a great Incouragement, and ſtrong Motive, to thoſe that are ſtrangers to God, to come in and ſubmit to him: Oh that the Lord would perſwade your hearts to come in and ſubmit to him! So long as you are ſtrangers to God, ſee the danger you are in; you are liable to be harmed by all Creatures in Heaven and Earth; they are all at the command of the Lord; they all obey his word; If God ſay to the leaſt of Creatures go and take away the life of man; avenge my quarrel upon ſuch a Rebel, the Creatures obey: The Lord can arm the leaſt of his Creatures: a fly, he can make that take way the life of man; And therefore 'tis a miſerable condition, to be a ſtranger to God and Chriſt, to be out of Covenant with God; you have no Covenant made for you and therefore you are left to harm of the Creatures every day: Oh that the Lord would perſwade you to come in, to caſt away your own righteouſneſs, and to ſubmit to the righteouſneſs of the Son of God, and to make a cloſe with him, and with his Son, and then all Creatures, will take his part: and if God be your freind, they will be your freind; and if God will not curſe, they will not curſe; and if God will not hurt you they will not hurt you; for they are all obedient to the command of their Maker.
Again in the fourth place, To make haſte; This may let us ſee, that it is not in Creatures to do us good without: I ſay, 'tis not in the power of Creatures to us the leaſt good without God: We are apt to look too much upon Creatures; you expect too much from Creatures, and too little from God; and therefore it is that oftentimes we are diſappointed: I tell you, they cannot do us the leaſt good, without the command of God; the very meat you eat, it cannot refreſh you, unleſs it have a command from God, and a bleſſing from God, and the very clothes that you wear, cannot warm you, unleſs they have a command from God; there is no creature can do you good unleſs it have a command from God, and a bleſſing f…om God: I beſeech you take notice of it: Oh we are apt to propound ſuch and ſuch things to our ſelves if we had ſuch a portion of the creature: men think, Oh if they had ſuch an Eſtate, ſo much riches; and if they were in ſuch places of honour, and if they had ſo much wealth, and ſuch and ſuch a creature, ſuch and ſuch freinds and relations: ſuch meat to eat, and ſuch drink to drink; and ſuch clothing to put on; then they ſhould be ſatisfied, and their lives made comfortable; I tell you, my Brethren, 'tis a great miſtake; if you had thoſe very creatures you would have, ſtill they could not ſatisfie you, nor make your lives comfortable: If God do not come along with the Creature, the Creature cannot ſatisfie you: God he can make your lives comfortable in the want of Creatures; 'tis as God will come in; and 'tis as God will bleſs: See what Job propounded to himſelf, in that 7. of Job, verſ. 1…. When I ſaid, my bed ſhall comfort me, my Couch ſhall eaſe my complaint: Though Creatures be never ſo likely of themſelves to comfort a man, if God will not make uſe of them, they cannot comfort: What more likely to give Job eaſe, then his Couch, then his Bed? he had wearied his body; and his Bed and his Couch is a place of eaſe; but I cannot finde it ſo, ſaith Job, I expected that it ſhould eaſe me, I will lay my head upon my Pillow, and take my reſt, but I could not finde it; no, it terrified my thoughts: and truly freinds, you may think of all the Creatures you enjoy, you may think that the Creatures will comfort, but if God doth not make uſe of it, it cannot comfort you; and if God will make uſe of any Creature, it ſhall comfort you: If God make uſe of impriſonments, bonds and fetters, they ſhall be ingagements to you, and make you ſing in the Stocks at midnight; God can ſay to the Creatures go and comfort: You know when God commanded the heaps of ſtones that Jacob layd his head upon, to give him comfortable ſleep, he ſlept well that night, he ſlept better upon his heap of ſtones, then he did upon his pillow, when God makes uſe of the Creature to comfort: and therefore do not think you have comfort from Creatures, as Creatures; 'tis God that muſt come in and bring comfort to you, for God can make every Creature comfortable; and the beſt of Creatures cannot comfort, if God do not come in.
To Conclude all.
Fiftly, Here is matter of great comfort to the people of God; it may be a Prop to their faith, to their confidence; if they conſider this, that all the Creatures are at Gods command, and God can make uſe of any Creature to do them good; he …an make uſe of their Bonds; it is a mighty comfort to you that are the people of God, to remember this upon all occaſions, where ever you ar…, in your way, in your journey, in your voyages, whether you be at Sea or Land; ſtill remember, that all the Creatures they are your Fathers Hoſt, they all fulfil his Command, they cannot diſobey his Law, they cannot hurt you without commiſſion: Nay, though they be hurtful, yet he can do you good by them: Oh how quietly may Gods people walk in the midſt of all Creatures, when they are at Sea, and when they are on land? in the midſt of dreadful Creatures, they may wall ſafely, for why? they are at your Fathers command, and they cannot do you the leaſt hurt, though they be hurtful in themſelves in their own nature; and therefore upon all occaſions ſtrengthen your faith in the Lord: What ſhall we ſay to theſe things, ſaith the Apoſtle in the 8. of the Romans, the latter end: If God be for us, who can be againſt us? I tell you, you may challenge all the Creatures in Heaven and Earth, if God be with you; if he be your portion, if he hath received you into Covenant, and you have made a cloſe with God: And therefore in all places and dangers, walk by faith; ſtrengthen your faith in the mighty power and goodneſs of God, that hath the Command and Rule over all Creatures.