The Faith of Dying Jacob, Part 9
But God will be with you.
Observ. 2. God will certainly be with his Israel.
The Inscription upon the Church is, Sought out and not forsaken, Isai. 62. 12. He withdraweth not his eye from the Righteous, The Lord will not forsake his People, because it hath pleased him to make them his People: When Stephen was suffering he saw Christ standing up, 'twas such a glorious sight to be beheld. Pharaoh pursuing Israel, the Angel and the Pillar of the Cloud that had gone before them went behind, and wedged in 'twixt them and dangers, Exod. 14. 19. Isaac dying, said I die, but the Lord will surely be with you, and Israel, his young bird had learned the old ones note saying, God shall be with you.
1. Because 'tis the main concernment and interest of God in the world. The world is but an Inn for the Church to lodge in, Num. 2. All the Tents of the Tribes were pitched about the Tabenacle: If not for this, what reason hath God to take care of the World? A Limner placeth the Picture in the midst of the Frame, and fills up the rest with Clouds and Land-skips. 'Tis not for the sake of the Sun, Moon, or Stars, much less for the sake of the Beasts, that the world is not dissolved: What is God the better for Belials, a People unruly and profligate, sine jugo? Or indeed for the Civil part that as Drones gather to themselves. 'Tis Israel that God hath formed for his Glory, actively to shew forth his praise: The Gilded bespangled Heavens, and the fruitful Fragrant Earth do but passively declare his Glory, and the Generality mostly dishonour and Blaspheam his Holy Name, therefore the Lord takes more care of them than of all the world. The Ark was a Type of Christ, the Shew-bread of the Church, these had three coverings; the Ark had a covering vail, a covering of Badgers, Skins, and a Cloth wholly of Blue: The Table of Shew-bread had a Cloth of Blue, and of Scarlet, and a covering of Badgers Skins, the Candlestick and Golden Altar had but two, Num. 4 5. to 11. Seven Eyes, saith Zechariah, shall be upon the stone, upon Christ and his Church.
2. Because his propriety, relation and affection, lie especially among these: God can say, All Souls are mine; the Earth with its fulness, and the Beasts on a thousand Hills; but of Israel 'tis said, God hath chosen thee to be a special People unto himself above all people that are upon the face of the Earth, Deut. 7. 6. Exod. 19. 5. When the most High divided the Nations their Inheritance, and separated the Sons of Adam, and set the bounds, then he took his People for his Portion, and Jacob for the Lot or Cord of his Inheritance; he corded up these distinct from all the world, Deut. 32. 8, 9. Esther cries, How can I endure to see the destruction of my kindred? Ahasuerus cries, Will he force the Queen before my face? much less can God. Whom should the Bridegroom love but his Bride? Where should the Father be but with his Family? Where should the Shepherd be but with his Sheep? Or a King be but among his Subjects? Where should the Head be but with its Members? And this relation and dear affection is indissoluble, Psal. 52. 1. Boast not thy self thou man of might, the loving-kindness of God endureth for ever.
And the Lord is resolved that the world shall know this endeared love; and that they shall pay their homage, and strike sail to them, Rev. 3. 9. Prov. 14. 19. Isa. 60. 14. Behold, I will make them of the Synagogue of Satan (which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie) Behold, I will make them to come, and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee, 1 Chron. 17. 24. David, calling over the Lord's gracious Promises, prayeth, Let it even be established, that thy name may be magnified for ever, saying, The Lord of Hosts is the God of Israel, even a God to Israel: And 'tis the Lord's promise, Isa. 61. 9. Their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their off-spring among the People: All that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the Lord hath blessed. And thus Moses assureth the world's acclamation to Jacob's glory: And all People of the Earth shall see that thou art called by the name of the Lord, and they shall be afraid of thee. The Majesty of God shall be so great upon them, that the Enemies shall fall backward, as at the lustre of Basil, and before Christ, when he said, I am He.
2. Because of the Oneness betwixt Christ and his People. The Wife and Husband make one flesh; the Head and Members make one body: They are so one, that they bear one anothers names: Christ bears theirs, Isa. 49. 3. Thou art my Servant, O Israel, in whom I will be glorified. And they bear his, Gal. 3. 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made: He saith not, and to seeds, as of many; but as of one: And to thy seed, which is Christ.
And besides this mystical Oneness, there is a foederal Oneness, whereby they are engaged to stand by one another, to assist, and take one anothers part: Much like that of Jehosaphat to Ahab; I am as thou art, my People as thy People, my horses as thy horses, 1 King. 22. 4. Or as David's to Abiathar, Abide thou with me, fear not; for he that seeketh my life, seeketh thy life; but with me thou shalt be in safeguard: Or as Ittai's to David, to stand by him in life and in death: Or as Ruth's to Naomi, Nothing but death shall part thee and me. The great God hath passed himself over to his People: I will be your God, in my greatness, goodness, might and mercy, to do for you: He avoucheth them, and they him, Deut. 26. 17, 19. This in short the Spouse summeth up; My Beloved is mine, and I am his. Being thus one together, they run the same hazards, stand and fall, live and die together: There is an end of both as to their glory in this world, if either fail.
4. The Lord will surely stand by his people because of his faithful promise; he hath bound and tied himself to it, fecit se debitorem: And he is a just God and a Saviour, Isa. 45. 21. Zech. 9. 9. The word is gone out of his mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, but will perform the good things he hath promised. 1 Sam. 15. 29. Also the strength of Israel will not lie, nor repent; for he is not as man that he should repent. I have said, mercy shall be built up for ever, Psal. 89. 2. Thou wilt perform thy Truth unto Jacob, and thy mercy to Abraham. What was promised in mercy, shall be performed in truth.
God is sworn to Christ, Isa. 53. 10, 11. that he shall see, or enjoy his seed, and divide a portion with the great, and a spoil with the strong; that his seed shall endure for ever, and his days as the Throne of Heaven.
And the Lord is sworn to his People according to the Oath that he made when they came out of Egypt, Hag. 2. 4. Deut. 7. 9, 10. Know therefore that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him, and keep his Commandments unto a thousand generations; and repayeth them that hate him, to their face to destroy them. Jacob may in a fitt say, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my God hath forgotten me. Enemies may say, They are entangled, they are bread for us, there is no help for them in God: But a Mother may sooner forget her sucking Child, that is dearest, and drawing out her very bowels, than God can forget his Jacob. And suppose the Child be grown up, and be rebellious, yet what Father would disinherit a Child? What Husband would divorce a Wife when they are able, willing, and engaged to remove and cure all in either that is distastful, and to infuse all such winning qualities as may attract and perpetuate love?
Here one doubt offers its self, as Rebekah said, Why am I thus? or as Gideon, If the Lord be with us, why is all this befaln us?
As to this consider, God is then most with his people, when he lets them fall into dangers and into enemies hands, either for their preservation, or for their comfort. God was most with Abraham when travelling through the enemies Land; and with Noah when the Flood-gates of Heaven and Earth were set open: and with Israel in the Red Sea: And with his Servants in the burning Furnace and Lions Den; and with the Martyrs when burning at the Stake: When Seas of joy were poured upon them: Say not, God is afar off, now he is nearest, in the Mount of danger, in the Belly of Hell, in the burning Bush, that all are not consumed, and that the Dragons Flood doth not overflow all. When was God more with Israels Posterity than when their Bondage encreased under an unkind Pharaoh? and when was their deliverance nearer? In that doleful perplexed Estate Jer. 14. 9, 10. Faith could say, Yet thou art in the midst of us.
Also consider it may be needful for Israel that though God remove not his Presence, he should alter his Countenance and Carriage: His Heart is the same, though his Countenance alters. If the Lord did not let distresses come how should the wickedness and rage of the wicked be known, their sin ripened, and their Plagues as Pharaohs greatned? How should the Saints corruptions be purged, their graces evidenced, exercised and encreased, and their heavenly glory and crown be brightned? When the Lord is greatly angry with the wicked, and resolved that their time shall be short, he lets loose their rage, Rev. 12. 12. as he dealt with Pharaoh in the hardning of his Heart to his destruction: When the Lord intends, Zions glorious Birth-pangs are strong: Birth and Death-pangs are always sharp: If the child be sick, there is need of change of Diet. If it be disorderly, a Rod is best for it: If there be dirt upon Zion, there is need of a wisp; and after Gods Plate is scoured, the Rod is cast to the Dunghil.