God’s Ability to Save His People from Suffering
John Barnard
This is John Barnard’s sermon on Daniel 3:17. It is not Philip Ashton’s I.
Orthography lightly modernized; substance 1725. Evans TCP / OTA N02186, CC0. Not the reading column.
GOD’S Ability to Save His People out of all their Dangers. DAN. III. 17.
IF it be so, our GOD whom we serve, is able to Deliver us from the Burning Fiery Furnace, and He will Deliver us out of thine Hand, O King.
WE have before us the Remarkable History of what befell Three Young Men of the Jews, who were carried away Captive, by the Chaldeans, into Babylon. The haughty Nebuchadnezzar had caused an image of wondrous Statute to be made of Gold, and passed a severe Decree, that all Men, upon the hearing of the Musical Instruments, which he ordered to be Sounded at certain times, should fall down and Worship the Golden Image, upon pain of their being cast into a Fiery Furnace. The three Jewish Worthies, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, steadily adhered to the Worship of the True GOD of Israel, the GOD of their Fathers, and, in Complyance with his Commands, abhorred such gross Idolatry, and therefore, notwithstanding the heavy penalty annexed to the Persian Edict, utterly refused to bow the Knee, and give any Religious Worship to the Golden Image which Nebuchadnezzar had set up. Some of the Bigotted Chaldeans, observing that these Three Young Men neglected to comply with the Kings Command, accused them to his Majesty, of Contempt of his Royal Authority, and Breach of his Imperial Edict, laying, ver. 12. These Men, O King, have not regarded thee, they serve not thy gods, nor worship the Golden Image which thou hast set up. Upon which Nebuchadnezzar was kindled into Fury, to think, that any from among the poor Captives of the Jews, and these Young Men, should dare to take upon them to Govern themselves more by the Dictates of their own Minds, informed by the Law of the GOD of Israel, than by his Royal Will and Pleasure, and under the pretence of Conscience, refuse to obey his Command, which enjoyned the Religious Worship of what he accounted his god, on pain of his highest Displeasure; he immediately sends for them, and hastily, and angrily Queries with them, for their Audacious contempt of him; Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego? Do ye not serve my gods? And he assures them, that if they did not Worship his gods, they should be cast the Same Hour into the midst of a burning fiery Furnace; such a quick Riddance was he resolved to make of all that dared to Dissent from his Established Religion! and who is that God, (said that haughty Monarch,) that shall deliver you out of my hands?
The three devout Young Men Answer him with a truely Heroick Spirit and Fortitude of Mind, becoming them as Men, and as those that feared the LORD GOD of Heaven; O Nebuchadnezzar, said they, we are not careful to answer Thee in this matter; as if they had said, Sir, we are in your hands, you may do with us what you please, we are not much concerned what outward Torment you shall inflict upon us; we are ready to suffer any penalty, rather than renounce the True GOD, and turn to the Worshiping of Idols; we have placed our Hope and Trust in the Living JEHOVAH, and doubt not His protection and Favour; for, as in my Text, If it be so, that is, if thou shouldst cast us into the fiery furnace, yet, our God whom we serve, is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us out of thine hand, O King; but if not (as it follows in the next verse) if our GOD do not see cause to deliver us out of the Furnace, yet (such their Faith and Trust in GOD, and Resolutions for His Service, that they could say) be it known unto thee, O King, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship thy Golden Image, which thou hast set up. Such their Resolution that they had rather undergo any Death, than willfully Sin against GOD; and their hope and trust in him, was grounded upon his Infinite and Almighty Power to help them, and his Goodness and Mercy to them in the Conclusion, whatever they were called to suffer for his sake.
From the Words I shall observe this General Truth, viz.
DOCT. THAT GOD is able to Deliver them that Serve Him, from the Greatest of Enemies, and Dangers.
What a Signal Instance have we of the Power of GOD, & his Ability & readiness to deliver them that serve him, in these three Children of the Captivity, whose Memorable Story is before us; the Answer of Shadrach, Meshach, & Abed-nego, put Nebuchadnezzar into such a Rage that he could not contain himself, the Visage of his Countenance was changed, he appeared all Wrath and Fury, and that the Furnace might be like himself, and make a thorow Dispatch of them, he Commanded, that they should heat the Furnace one seven times hotter than it was wont to be heated; and lest there should be any possible way left for their Escape out of the Vehemently heated Furnace, he Commanded the most Mighty Men that were in his Army, to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and to cast them, so bound in their Cloaths, into the burning fiery furnace; and so overheated was the Furnace that those that did the Office of casting them into it were slain by the Flame of the Fire, upon their approach only to the Verge of it; and yet after all see the Wonderfull Power and Goodness of GOD, to them that serve him, he is able to deliver, and he will deliver; for tho' those three Men fell down bound into the Furnace, yet GOD Quenched the Raging of the Fire, and suffered it not to hurt them, to the astonishment of Nebuchadnezzar, and all about him; for while he sat to glut his Eyes with the beholding how the Flame would consume those that dared to dispute his Authority, and disobey his Word, he is surprised with the amazing Spectacle, that those whom he had cast bound into the midst of the Fire, were loose walking in the midst of the Fire, without having received any hurt, with a Fourth Person walking among them, the form of whom was like the Son of God. Upon such an astonishing sight Nebuchadnezzar is possessed with some Aw and dread of the GOD of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, and a Veneration for their Persons; and now in Respect to them, he comes himself nearer to the Mouth of the Furnace, and calls upon them ye Servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither; and in the presence of all his Nobles came forth these three Men, upon whose Bodies the Fire had no power, nor was an Hair of their head singed, neither were their Coats changed, nor the smell of Fire had passed on them. The account of which we have in the latter part of the Chapter where my Text is.
A like notable instance of the Divine Power, to protect, and deliver the Servants of GOD, we have in Daniel, another of the Children of the Captivity; the History of which we have in the VI Chapter of Daniel.
Darius the Emperour of Persia and Media had set 120 Princes over his Kingdom, at the Head of whom he had placed Three Presidents, and made Daniel,a Jewish Captive, Chief among them; which greatly excited the Indignation and Envy of the several Princes, to see a Captive preferred before them; insomuch that they entered into a Combination to take him off; but knowing the Kings fondness for him, they saw it would be in vain for them to attempt to remove him out of the way by their own power, and therefore they more Politickly covered their malicious designs, & narrowly watched all his motions, that if possible they might find somewhat, whereof to accuse him to the King, of want of Fidelity, or Male-Administration: after a long time of envious Observation, they find Daniel preserved a steady Allegiance to his Sovereign, and Prudently managed the Affairs of Government committed to his trust, so that there was no hopes of their picking any matter of Just Accusation out of so wife and faithful a Servant; and therefore they have recourse to a Stratagem which they doubted not would succeed to their Wish. They remembred, that tho' Daniel was thus advanced in the Persian Court, yet he was Born and Educated in the Jews Religion, and was still a strict worshiper of the GOD of Israel; this they were resolved to improve against him; and therefore, under the fair presence of doing a great Honour to their Sovereign, a Bill is brought in, and passes among them, That whoever shall ask a Petition of any God, or man, for thirty Days save of King Darius, should be cast into the Den of Lyous: this they bring to the King, and pray his Signing of it that it may pass into a firm Decree, according to the Law of the Medes and Persians, which altereth net: The King was easily taken with the Flattery, and readily Signs the Bill. And now they thought themselves sure of the Prey; and should have this pleasure added to their Revenges, to see their Royal Master, who so highly Honoured Daniel, as hastily pull him down, and destroy him. They had not waited long before they find Daniel, according to his daily custom, upon his Knees, Praying and giving thanks to the GOD of Heaven, notwithstanding the Established Decree; and now they run hastily to the King, and mind him of the Decree, and inform him that his favorite Daniel dispised his Authority, and contemned his Edict, and dared, notwithstanding the severity of it, to make his Petition three times a Day. The King now saw himself caught in the Snare, and his Faithful Servant Daniel likely to perish, and therefore in great concern for him he laboured till the going down of the Sun, to deliver him from their Rage; but all in vain; so weak is the power of Earthly Monarchs; for the envious Courtiers are but so much the more enraged, the more the King pleaded to save him, and growing Mad, and Insolent, say to him, Know, O King, that the Law of the Medes and Persians is, that no Decree, nor Statute, which the King Establisheth, may be changed; and thus at length they extort from their Sovereign a Command, against his will, that Daniel should be cast into the Den of Lions. And yet see how wondrously GOD delivered him. The King, who had passed the Night without Sleep, in a Melancholly Reflection upon the loss of so valuable a Servant, came very early the next Morning to the Den, and cried out, O Daniel, Servant of the Living God! is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the Lions? then Daniel Answered the King, and said, O King live forever; My God hath sent his Angels, and hath shut the Lions Mouths, that they have not hurt me: so Daniel was taken up out of the Den, and no manner of hurt was found upon him, because he believed in his God.
In these Instances has GOD made his power to be known, that he is able to deliver those that fear him; & so great an Enemy as Nebuchadnezzar, and so terrible a danger as a sevenfold heated Furnace, could not prevent the deliverance of the Three Children; nor so many potent adversaries as the Princes of Persia, and the Law in conjunction with them, and so horrid a Danger as a Den of Hungry Lions, could not make a Prey of Daniel, but GOD could, and did deliver these his Servants out of the hands of them all.
I will only a little further Illustrate and Confirm the Doctrinal Truth, by mentioning a few things briefly, and then pass into the Improvement.
1. All Power belongeth unto GOD, so that he is able to do whatsoever he pleaseth. To GOD belongs the Power of Right and Authority to Rule and Govern his Creatures and all their Actions; for they are all the Workmanship of his Hands. He is the great Creator, and therefore the most high Possessor, or Lord Proprietor of Heaven, and of Earth. Psal. XCV. 3, 4, 5. The Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods; in his hands are the deep places of the Earth, the strength of the Hills, is his also; the Sea is his, and the reason is, he made it, and his hands formed the dry Land,
But then GOD has an Infinity of power or strength to perform his Pleasure. Men may have a Right to Rule, and yet may want strength to defend themselves from a successful Invasion upon their Right, by a bold and more potent Usurper. But GOD has all power in his own hands, so that he is able to defend himself against the united Force of all Creatures, and to accomplish his pleasure against all possible opposition; hence we read, Job IX. 19. If I speak of strength, lo, he is strong, & ver. 4. He is mighty in strength. So that whatever GOD Wills to do, that he is able to do; that is to say, all that is possible to be done, and that not only by means and Instruments, but by Almighty Power. When therefore at any time we read in the Scripture, that GOD cannot do so, or so, it does not intend that there is any want of any, the least possible measure or degree of Power in GOD, but it means, that the thing it self is Impossible to be done; and that either from the Contradictoriness of the Nature of things, as a thing cannot be True, and False, at the same time, and in the same respect; or from the Contradictoriness of things to the Nature and perfections of GOD, hence tis said, that it is Impossible for GOD to lie, because this is contrary to the perfections of his Nature: But all that comes within the verge of a possibility, and that not to finite, but to infinite Power, that GOD is able to perform, for he is the Lord Almighty; and can any thing be too hard for the Almighty? how then would he be Almighty. Tho' it be true, that GOD may not, or rather will not, do all that is possible to be done, yet the season of this is to be fetched from his own Sovereign Will and Pleasure, which is uncontrolable by any thing out of himself; for whatsoever he willeth to do, he has Power sufficient to enable him to execute his purpose. So that the Power and Ability of GOD is Infinite, nor can any thing set Limits thereto but his own Will; hence he saies, Ifa. XLVI. 10. My Council shall stand, I will do all my Pleasure.
2. Hence, GOD is able to over-rule all the Enemies of his Servants, and prevent the dangers that threaten them. For seeing the Power of GOD is Infinite, it is consequently Extensive over all things; the Hosts of Heaven, Earth, and Sea are at his Command, and he is an overmatch for their united Strength. This Nebuchadnezzar acknowledges, when he saw how wonderfully GOD had delivered the Three Children out of his hands, and from the violence of the Fire, Dan. III. 29. I make a Decree, saies he, that every people, and nation, and language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a Dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.
Yea, GOD has the Hearts, as well as Hands, of all Men under his Government, and can turn them as he pleases; Pro. XXI. 1. The Kings Heart is in the hand of the Lord, as the Rivers of Water, he turneth it whithersoever he will. GOD has the Hearts of the Greatest and Mightiest of Men in his Costody, they are at his disposal, he Governs them by his Power, and can turn them at his Pleasure; so that when they set themselves to do Mischief unto his Servants, he can lay Restraints upon their Lusts and Passions; when they are full of Malice and Rage, he can prevent their Malice, and extinguish their Rage, and make them to shew Acts of Kindness, instead of doing hurt to them that serve him. Thus when Esau came forth with an Armed Band against Jacob, (most probably with intensions to wreak his Revenges upon him,) yet how soon did GOD over-rule him, that of an Enemy he became a Friend, and instead of hurting, offers, either with his whole Band to Conduct him, that no Adversary might annoy him, or at least to leave some of his Forces with him, to assist him in driving his Cattle, and in the carrying of his little ones and Goods, see Gen. Chap. XXXII. and XXXIII.
Thus GOD is able to stay the hands of their Enemies, when they are lifted up to finite them, or can wither them in a Moment. When a Pharoah is set upon afflicting and vexing his People, and will not let them go to serve him, he is able to send his Plagues upon such an implacable Enemy, till he is glad to get rid of them, and hurry them away to the Service of their GOD: if he pursue after them with his Armed Forces, purposing in his Rage to cut them off Root and Branch; all his Mighty Power, with utmost seeming advantages attending them, shall not be able to hurt them: for GOD is able to knock off his Chariot Wheels, and stop him in his Course, he is able to bring the Waters of the Sea, which parted, and stood up as a Wall for the safe Passage of his Israel, over Pharoah and his Egyptians, and destroy them all in a Moment.
Thus GOD is able to over-rule the Dangers that threaten his Servants. Tho' threatning dangers may be contingent to us and we are not able to foresee and provide against them, yet GOD has the absolute Command of all Contingencies; they are all known unto him, and by his Power he Rules and Governs them as he pleases: or if the dangers that threaten are the natural result of Second causes, and we see them a coming, but can discern no possible way of escaping them, yet GOD can over-rule Second causes, he can stop their motion and opperations, suspend their influences and vigour, as he quenched the Raging of the Fire, and Stopped the Mouths of Lions; or he can give quite another turn to them, he can cause the Sun to go Backward, as well as to stand still on Gibson, & by one or other is able to deliver them that serve him.
3. GOD is able to Establish and fulfill his purpose, against all the councels and purposes of Men. For the Lord Almighty has none to stand in competition with him, to equal and rival him in Power and Dominion; and therefore tho' the Enemies of his People look never so big, and swell never so much with Envy and Rage, tho' they enter into Combination and take Council together, project their Schemes never so nicely, & lay their Plots never so deep, yet all signifies nothing before the Arm of the Mighty GOD of Jacob; for he is able to Counterwork their designs; as he can spie out the hidden works of Darkness, and discover the, otherwise inscrutable, Devices in the Heart of Man, so he is able to frustrate them, and bring them all to nought; he can take the Crafty in their own Craftiness, and make them that seek the hurt of his People to fall into the pit which they have digged for them: The Councel of the Lord that shall stand, and the thoughts of his heart unto all generations, Psal. XXXIII. II. and hence also the Wise Man tells us, Prov. XIX. 21. There are many devices in a mans heart, nevertheless the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand. In vain do any attempt to set themselves against the purposes of GOD; never any hardened himself against GOD and prospered. Who is that GOD, that shall deliver out of my hands? said haughty Nebuchadnezzar; Vain Man! how weak are thy purposes, when the Almighty meaneth not so? Tho' he resolved to consume the three Worthies in the seven sold heated fiery Furnace, shall his counsel stand? No; the Lord of Hosts gives forth his Word, and the Fire loseth it's power to hurt, and his Servants are delivered; our GOD is able to deliver us. This Nebuchadnezzar himself is forced to acknowledge, Dan. IV. 34, 35. The most High, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion—He doth according to his will in the Armies of Heaven, and among the Inhabitants of the Earth, and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, what doest thou? and ths Darius confesseth to the Glory of GOD, after Daniels from the Lins Den, Dan. VI. 26, 27. He is the Living God, and stedfost forever, and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed—He delivereth and rescueth, and he wketh signs and wonders in Heaven, and in Earth. In short, GOD is Irresistible in his Counsels and Designs, and there is no controuling him in his ways: if he will work, who shall let him; None ever succeeded in any mischievous intention to destroy any one Servant of GOD, when he meant to deliver him.
4. 'Tis easy with GOD to deliver his Servants from Enemies and Dangers. Those things that are hard and difficult to the united Force of all Creatures, are light and easy with GOD; yea, that which is impossible to Creatures, as exceeding the utmost reach of their power and strength, is no ways hard and difficult to the Almighty: as the Angel said to Abraham, Gen. XVIII. 14. Is any thing too hard for the Lord! He is Lord Almighty, and can any thing be too hard for Almighty Power? It may be too hard for finite limited power, but it cant be too hard for Almighty power to deliver them that serve GOD, out of the extremest dangers, and from the most potent Enemies. It was easy with GOD to create a World out of Nothing, he did but speak the Word, let there be such a World, so and so Modified, Adorned and Inhabited, and his Word is obeyed immediately: and how easy then is it with that GOD to whom Creating Power belongs, to work Deliverance for his People? Here,
1. How easily can GOD find out the proper methods to deliver his Servants! Tho' the Circumstances of their Distress may be so peculiarly intricate and perplexed, and the Crafty Devices of their Enemies, so hidden and encreased, that they can see no possible way of their Escaping, yet GOD can easily find out an unthought of Method, and in an untrodden path, which no Vultures Eye hath discovered, come and Save them. When the Children of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, combined against Judah in the Days of Jehoshaphat, the weak powers of Judah were no ways sufficient to Cope with the Superiour Force of their Enemies, nor could they devise any Politick Method, any Slight or Stratagem, by which they could hope to Escape the Destruction that threatned them: We have no might against this great Company, that cometh against us, neither know we what to do, say they; so that they could see no possibility of Escaping, seeing they had neither Power to withstand them, nor Art and Skill to evade the coming Blow; and yet, when their Eyes are to the Lord and their hope and trust is placed in him, how easily does GOD find out a new and unthought of Method for their Deliverance, by setting their Adversaries at variance among themselves, till in the heat and fury of their Jealosy and Rage they had devoured one another, and left a rich and unguarded Camp an easy Prey to the Men of Judah. The History of which we have in II Chron. Chap. XX. And thus, when Haman was Maliciously bent to Revenge the Affront he thought he had received from Mordecai, not only upon him Personally, but all his Nation and People with him, and had made the Slaughter of the Jews sure, as one would have been ready to think, by the Royal Edict devoting them to Destruction; what possible way was there left, (humanely speaking) for this Poor, Captivated, Despised People, to Escape the universal Desolation that was hastning upon them? and yet how wonderfully and unexpectedly did GOD find out a way, in the very nick of time, to involve Haman and his ten Sons in the Destruction designed for Mordecai, and those that confederated with him against the Jews, in the same Ruin that was designed for them, while Mordecai and his People Escaped. See the History of it in the Book of Esther. Thus GOD can make the Stars to fight in their Courses, against his Peoples Enemies, and the Ordinances of Heaven to contribute to the Deliverance of his Servants.
2. How easy is it with GOD to work Deliverance for his Servants, against, or without Means and Instruments! Tho' GOD usually worketh by Means, yet he can go out of the ordinary course of his Providence, & work contrary to them, or without them, as he pleases. GOD can go against the ordinary course of Nature, or the natural operation of Second Causes, to fulfill his designs, and bring about his purposes. He that at first put those Vertues and Powers into Second Causes, which they are endowed withall, can easily Stip them of their Efficacy, or put a new vigour and strength into them, which they naturally have not. How did he make the voracious Raven to part with his Food for the Support of his Servant Elijah? I King. XVII. 4. How did he cause the Walls of Jericho to fall down at the Blast of Rams-Horns? Jos. VI. 20. He is able to accomplish Deliverance for his Servants, when there are no means used, none that have a natural operation to bring about such an end; He can stretch forth his Arm, and is able by the strength of his own Right Hand, to pluck them as Brands out of the Burning, and rescue them out of the hands of them that hate them He need but speak the word, and it shall be done. The Iron Gate will fly open of it's own accord, at the Command of GOD, to grant a deliverance to his Servant Peter out of Prison, Act. XII. 10. These things sufficiently Illustrate and Confirm this Truth, that GOD is able to Deliver them that Serve him.
I proceed to make some Improvement of what has been said.
1. Is GOD able to Deliver them that Serve him? How terrible must the Thoughts of this be, to those that are in Enmity against GOD, and his People. Every willful Sinner is an Enemy to God; Rom. VIII. 7. The carnal mind is enmity against God, for it is not subject to the Law of God. The Carnal mind discovers it's Enmity against GOD, in it's want of Subjection to his Law, which is Holy, Just & Good. Now, as GOD is able to deliver them that serve him out of the hands of their Enemies, be they never so many and great, so he is able to inflict the deserved Punishment, upon all that are in a State of Enmity against him; how truely terrible must it then needs be to the Guilty Sinner, to think seriously of the Almighty Power of GOD; well may it make his Flesh tremble, and his Heart to melt in the midst of his Bowels, to think what an Enemy he hath stirred up, and what an avenger is in pursuit after him. For tho' he now mocks a Fear, and laughs at the sound of the threating, tho' he rusneth on as into the Battle against the Almighty, trampling upon the Authority, and violating the Laws of GOD, yet let him know, and be assured of it, that he does but run upon the thick bosses of the Buckler of the Almighty, to his own utter Ruin and Confusion; for all his Efforts shall not be able to weaken the Divine Arm, nor his Collected Strength to stay the Hand of the most High, when it is lifted up to smite him. Earthly Monarchs may want power to Punish a bold Offender, and a Combination of Rebels may be too strong for them; a David may complain, These Sons of Zerviah are too bard for me; but GOD cannot want Power to Punish the greatest and most daring Sinner, nor can the Combination of all the Wicked of the Earth prevail against him. As he show himself strong on the behalf of those whose Hearts are perfect towards him, to accomplish deliverance for them, so he will make his power to be known on the Vessels of his Wrath, in the Day when he shall arise to Execute Vengance, upon the Wicked, and Punishment upon the People that disobey is Laws. How Miserable then must the Condition of the Wicked of the Earth be, who have this strong and allpowerful GOD for their Enemy; for it is utterly Impossible for them to Escape, in the Day when he will Execute his Wrath upon them, and pour out his Anger like Fire: There is none can deliver out of his hand, Job X. 7. When a Nebuchadnezzar shall cast a Servant of GOD into a Fiery Furnace, he may vauntingly say, Who is that God that shall deliver out of y hands? and yet our GOD is able to deliver them that serve him, from his Rage and Cruelty; but when GOD himself shall cast the Wicked of the Earth into Hell, most intensly heated by his fierce Indignation and Wrath, and where the Flame is inextinguishable, there is none in Earth or Heaven, that shall be able to deliver out of his hands. O what are poor Potsherds of the Earth, Worms of the Dust, that they should vainly imagine that they can stand it out against that GOD, who sitteth on the Circle of the Heavens, and before whom all Nations are but as Grasshoppers! GOD will make them to feel the Effects of his Power and Wrath in Hell, who will go on in contempt of him and his Laws. And this will make Hell to be most terrible, that there is the Wrath of an Almighty, which burns with most amazing fierceness, accompanied with Infinite Strength and Power to hold the Guilty Creature in endless durance, and fix him irrevocably in the place of Torment beyond a possibility of Escaping. Wrath without Power might possibly be evaded, but where there Is an Infinity of Power in conjunction with inexpressible Wrath, how unavoidable is the Punishment? how exquisite and interminable must the Misery needs be? Verily 'Tis a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!
And I might add; this Doctrine looks terribly upon the Enemies of GOD's Servants; they that hate them, and persecute them for Righteousness sake, would do well to consider that the GOD that is able to deliver his Servants, is able also to avenge their Blood, and retaliate all the mischief and spite of their Adversanes; he can lift up himself, as Judge of the Earth, and render a reward unto the Proud, and great reason have they to fear that he will do so. But I pass to say
2. This Doctrine may serve to teach us, that we should not fear Man, but GOD. For if GOD is able to deliver them that serve him out of the hands of the most powerful Enemies, then there is but little reason why we should fear Man, who is GOD please, shall not be able to do us the least hurt, but there is all imaginable reason for us to fear GOD, lest he should become our Enemy, and give us up to the will of those that plot Mischief against us.
1. This teaches us not to Fear Man. I do not mean, that we should not maintain such a cautionary fear of Man, as shall put us upon our guard, lest we give any just occasion of Offence to any, and such a reverential fear of Man as shall excite us to pay the civil Honours and Respects that are due to every one in their several Stations and Relations; but that we ought not so to fear Man, as from the Apprehensions of what they may do to us, to be influenced to any thing that is contrary to the known Laws of GOD. For the will &power of Man is limited and bounded by the Infinitely Superiour Will and Power of GOD, who brings Princes to nothing, and maketh the Judges of the Earth Vanity. Cease then from Man, for how unreasonable is it that he should be feared, whose Breath is in his Nostrils, his Breath goeth forth, he Dieth, and that very day all his Thoughts Perish: all his Thoughts of Evil against us, cease with his Breath, and what hurt then can he do unto us Surely no fear of Man should move us at any time to neglect a known Duty, but we should full attend our Duty, let who will threaten, and leave it with GOD to preserve us, Daniel did so. Nor should any fear of Man drive us to do a Sinful action, but we should resolve with our selves not to comply with the desire or command of any to commit Sin, tho' it should be enforced upon us with the heaviest Temporal Penalty; the Three Children did so. For tho' Men may threaten us, what they will do unto us, yet they are not able to accomplish their threatning, but our GOD can quench the Fire of the Furnace, and the Fire of the Pistol levelled at our Heads or Breasts; he can turn away the Sword from us, can stay the Hand that is lifted up to smite us, and wither the Arm in a Moment that seems resolved to destroy, if we will not do such or such a wicked thing: why then should we fear what Man can do unto us! Hence said GOD by his Prophet, Isa. LI. 12, 13.Who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a Man that shall die, and of the son of man, which shall be made as grass; and forgettest the Lord thy maker, that hath stretched forth the Heavens, and laid the foundations of the Earth; and hast feared continually every day, because of the fury of the oppressor, as if he were ready to destroy? and where is the fury of the oppressor? How should this Thought arm our Se-faring Brethren and Neighbours particularly, with Resolutions not to fear Man, if at any time they fall into the hands of the Sons of Violence, who not only entice, but threaten a present Death, in case of a Refusal to comply with them in their Impious and Unrighteous wayes? you have seen that our GOD is able to deliver.
2. This should teach us to fear GOD. If GOD be able to deliver his Servants, then we should fear the Lord and his Goodness, that when we are endangered, we may experience his kind Protection. He is as able to Kill and Destroy, as to Deliver and Save alive, and therefore should we fear him; yea he is able to destroy not only our Bodies, but our Souls too in Hell forever; how greatly then is he to be feared? Thus our Saviour argues, Mat. X. 28.Fear not them which kill the Body but are not able to kill the Soul; but rather fear him which is able to destroy both Soul and Body in Hell. The Lord is a great GOD, and a great King above all gods, his Name is Dreadful, he can give a Commission to, and arm the least of his Creatures to hurt and destroy us; he has innumerable ways to destroy, as well as to deliver, and the same Mighty Power that can preserve us, can also bring us to the of the Earth; therefore should we stand in we of him, and not Sin. Hence sas the Prophet Jer. X. 6, 7. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord thou art great, and thy Name is great in might, who will not fear thee, O king of Nations? for to thee doth it appertain. And thus we find Darius, after the signal Deliverance wrought for Daniel, issuing his Royal Proclamation, in such terms, Dan.VI. 26. I make a Decree, that in every Dominion of my Kingdom, Men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the Living God, and stedfast forever. But,
3. This teaches us to put our trust in GOD. Our GOD is able to deliver: to whom then should we repair for shelter in an Evil Day, but unto the Lord our GOD, whose Name is a strong Tower whereunto the Righteous run and are safe! The Ability of GOD to help us is the foundation of our trust: Isa. XXVI. 4. Trust ye in the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. The Power of GOD should encourage us to trust in him at all times, in all our straits and difficulties; he is able to supply all our wants for us, therefore should we not doubt his Power, or say with incredulous Israel of Old, Can the Lord Spread a Table for as in the Wilderness? can he give us Bread and Flesh to Eat? but we should make known our wants to him, and leave it with him to carve out for us what portion of these things he pleases. He is able to deliver us from our Fears, therefore at what time we are afraid, we should place our trust in him, and recall our fainting Spirts in the language of the Psalmist, Why art thou cast down, O my Soul? hope thou in God. He is able to bring us out of all our Distresses, therefore let our case look never so desperate, we should guard against all Despondency, and all Sinful Compliances with the Enticements, of Wicked Men, and cast our Burden upon the Lord, who is a present help in times of troublé. Thus say the three Children, He is able—and be will deliver us; such is their Confidence, Hope and Trust in GOD. And we should learn to trust in GOD, when we have only his Almighty Power to rely upon; I mean, when we can see no likely humane methods to procure us what we want, or work Deliverance for us. What possible ground for hope and trust, had the three Children from Men and means, when cast into the Fiery Furnace? where could they look among all the Creatures of GOD, and see the least glimmerings of hope to Escape the Violence of the Flame? But when all hope and help fails us from the Creature, yet still we have the Infinite Power of GOD to betake our selves to, he is then able to Save us, and bestow the Blessing upon us. Thus to have our hope and trust placed in GOD, as able to deliver and help us, will be the most likely way to preserve the inward Peace of our own Minds, and make us all Calm & Sedate within, when all things without us are thrown into Tempest and Confusion; for Happy is he, whose hope is in the Lord his God, which made Heaven and Earth, the Sea, and all that therein is; (Psal. CXLVI. 1.) He will keep him in perfect Peace, whose Mind is stayed on him, because he trusteth in him. Isa. XXVI. 3.
4. This should teach us to become the True Servants of GOD. Our GOD, whom we serve, is able to deliver us, say they, but if we are not the Sincere Servants of GOD, we can have no good grounds to hope that he will make bare his Arm, and shew us his Salvation. For GOD is Angry with the Wicked every Day, and those that walk in disobedience to him, and trample upon his Laws, have reason to fear lest his Power should be manifested in inflicting very heavy Judgments upon them, and the worst that they feel in this Life, be but the beginning of Sorrows to them: but the Lord taketh pleasure in the prosperity of his Servants, and is ready to gird himself with Strength, and come and save them. This Consideration then, should excite us to become the Sincere and Faithful Servants of the most high GOD; this should put us all upon a Serious Devoting of our selves to his Service, and a fixed Resolution to employ all our powers for him, that we may glorifie him with our Bodies and our Spirits, which are the Lord's; this should make us exceeding careful to approve, and do, the good, perfect, and acceptable Will of GOD, that we may walk in all well-pleasing before him; this should make us to delight our selves in his Law, to esteem his Precepts concerning all things to be right, and to hate every false way; this should make us frequent, earnest, and importunate in our Prayers to GOD, that we may honour him, in an acknowledgment of our dependance upon him; this should make us diligent, serious & devout in our attendance upon the Publick Duties of Religion in the House and Ordinances of our GOD; this should put us upon a hearty and unreserved dedication of our selves to God in Christ Jesus, choosing this GOD for our GOD, this Redeemer for our Saviour, upon his own terms, and in his own way; this should make us ready to lay our selves out in the Service of Christ, being willing to spend and be spent for him, and to do all we can for the Honour of the Name of Christ, and the Interest of his Kingdom in the World; yea, this should make as willing to suffer any thing, to undergo any hardships, to be exposed to any Death, rather than to Sin against GOD. Thus should we become the true Servants of GOD, and then may we quietly hope, and patiently wait for the Salvation of GOD.
Lastly. Has GOD at any time granted Deliverance to us. Let us then give unto the Lord the Glory. All our deliverances, of every kind, come from GOD, who is the GOD of Salvation; and therefore unto him should we ascribe the Glory. Thus has GOD wrought deliverance for us, when in a time of Sinkness, he has preserved us from the Noisome Pestilence, or raised us up when we were brought low? has GOD delivered us from Shipwrack in times of Storm and Tempest, and stilled the Proud Waves of the Sea for us, and brought us to our desired Haven! Has he preserved us from falling a Prey into the hands of Barbarous Enemies, when we have been greatly endangered by them, or delivered us from captivity to them that hated us! and especially, has he saved any of us from the hands of Pirates, those Evil and bloody Men, where our Life has hung continually in doubt, and the Snares of Death have compassed us, and our better Interest has been in utmost danger of being lost forever? Upon such deliverances let us call upon our Souls, and all that within us, to Bless his Holy Name. See then the hand of GOD in accomplishing all for us, acknowledge and praise his lower and Goodness to us in all; let our glad Hearts adore him, while with our Lips we speak well of his Name, and in our Lives we endeavour to make returns, answerable to the benefits we have received; and carefully pay our Vows to the Lord, which our Mouth hath uttered, or Heart purposed in the Day of our Distress. Thus we find Jonah, after his Wonderful Deliverance, as from the Belly of Hell, saying, Jonah 2. 9. I will Sacrifice unto thee, with the voice of Thanksgiving, I will pay that that I have Vowed; Salvation is of the Lord.
And now suffer me to Address my self particularly to that young Man, who is here before the Lord this Day, our wonder, and our Joy.
My Dear Child!
We stand amazed at what GOD has done for you and receive you as a Monument of the Divine Power, and a Miracle of Mercy. We are lost in the Meditation on the Wonders and Triumphs of the Power, and Goodness of GOD to you! In You we see, that our GOD whom we Serve, is able to deliver out of the Fiery Furnace, & from the Den of Lions! In You we see, that nothing is too hard for the Lord, & that 'tis not in vain for us to call upon him! In you we see, that there is room for us to trust to the Arm of the Strong GOD to help us, when there is not the least rational prospect from the Creature! In you we see, that 'tis safest running the Hazard of incurring the utmost Rage and Fury of Men, by denying Sinful Compliances with them, rather than to provoke GOD, by joyning with them in their pernicious ways.
We cannot but hope, that there were some dispositions in You to Serve GOD, before you were carried away Captive by a Crew of Pirates, almost Three Years ago; and allow me to say, Basely Ingrateful, and deeply Guilty, beyond almost any Man in the World, will You be, if now you do not become one of the most Humble, Holy, Faithful, Active Servants of GOD. To you therefore let my Counsel be acceptable this Day.
1. Seriously Reflect upon the Wonders that GOD has wrought for you. Often call to mind the amazing Instances of the Goodness and Power of GOD, which you have had experience of, while you have been a Captive, and an Anchorite: and as you call them to mind, and have opportunity, Pen them down, that you may always have them by you, your Monitor, and your Encouragement.
Particularly,
1. Think what GOD has Delivered you from. Think what Society you are freed from, such as you and we justly esteem the worst of Men, upon all accounts; Men of a fierce Countenance and Temper, full of Malice, Rage and Blood, with whom the almost constant Noisy Revellings, and Perpetual Din of Madness, banished every Social Vertue, and rendered you Confined to a Herd of Wild Beasts; among whom also the prodigious Defiances of Heaven, and Amazing Assurance of their own Damnation, (were it not that I might add Drunkenness to their other Vices) gave you the Liveliest Picture of Hell, and rendered your Companions no better than Devils Incarnate.
Think also, how many have been the Deaths you have Escaped; you have been in Perils by Water, in Perils by Land, and in Deaths oft; more, it may be, than your preserved Friend, whom we received with Joy sometime ago. Think, how GOD preserved you, by Restraining the Bloody Men from laying Violent hands upon you, when you so often Refused to Joyn with them in their Evil Courses; how you Escaped being taken a Second time and suffering Death, by your being Providentially removed a little distance from such as had been your Companions for a while; how GOD delivered you when you were as a Mark set up to shoot at, and tho' the Bullets flew thick around you, yet none of them were suffered to harm you! how you have Escaped the dangers that threatned you from the Venemous Beasts of the Land, and the devouring Monsters of the Sea.
Call to mind the signal care of GOD manifested to you, while you were alone in a desolate uninhabited Island for about Nine Months together; and that when you were just ready to Perish, under your Weakness and Wounds, and the great Rains of the approaching Winter, how Marvelously did GOD send a Man to you, as it were an Angel from Heaven, to help you in your extremity to Firing, and some other necessaries of Life which you were destitute of; and by which means you were better able to shift for a Living for near Seven Months after, when you were again alone; and after that unexpected Company came to take up their Abode with you, what Civilities GOD moved them to shew to you.
2. Think upon the Manner of your Deliverance. The Manner of your Deliverance has been filled with Wonderful Interpositions of Divine Providence, and you may plainly see, that nothing short of the Arm of GOD, which alone doth marvelous things without number, has wrought Salvation for you. Whence else is it, that the Fire of the Pistol, leveled at your Head, should be three times going extinguished, but readily enough kindled into a discharge, when the fourth time it's aim was directed from you.
How Strangely were matters over-ruled, for your first going ashoar? when the Chieftain of that Mad Crew, you were among, had so often Swore you should never go till he did; his Revellings on shoar proves the means of your Escape.
And when you had taken a small Tour, from the more constant Place of your Residence, with two or three of those Companions, that had lately come to you, to another Island, at a small distance off, what a sheltring of you was this from the Fury of unreasonable Men, who would undoubtedly have destroyed you, at the same time they took the Residue of your Companions.
And at Last, what a plain Interposition of Providence was it; that by a Mighty, and a Contrary Wind, those Vessels should be driven near to your Desolate Habitation, and by the want of Water be put upon sending into your Harbour, in which you had an opportunity of Returning from your Captivity and Banishment, to your Native Land. Truly 'tis the Lord's doings, and it is marvelous in our Eyes.
2. And now pay your Acknowledgments to GOD, by speaking, and living to his Praise. Surely you ought to speak well of the Name of GOD, and Praise his Power; tell of all his Wonders which you have seen, utter the Memory of his great Goodness, and Sing his Praise. Let nothing ever proceed out of your Lips that shall cast the least dishonour upon the Name of GOD, but Remember Nebuchadnezzar's Decree, after the Deliverance of the three Children, Dan. III. 29. I make a Decree, saies he, that every People Nation and Language, which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach. Sec. shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill; so spake natural Conscience; and in it you fee what they deserve, that Blaspheme the Name of GOD.
GOD has preserved your soul in Life, by his kind Visitation, now give him the Praise by Living to his Glory. We doubt not you have often called upon the Name of the Lord, (we also have listed up our Cry to God on your behalf) the Lord hath heard the voice of your Supplication, your groaning hath come up before him, and he hath sent forth his word, and drawn you out of the Pit, and Redeemed you from the hand of your Enemies, and form a strange Land and turned your Captivity, as the Streams of the South, to the unexpected Refreshment of the weary Soul; and now it becomes you to Live a Life of Thankfullness, in a grateful obedience to all the Commands of GOD, respecting your Maker, and your Fellow-Creatures; that by exercising your self always to have a Conscience void of Offence both towards GOD, and towards Man, you may shew forth a lively Instance of the Grace of GOD, as well as be a Monument of his Power; that Praise may redown unto the Name of GOD, in the Churches, by the Thanksgiving of many on your behalf.
Wherefore Watch against all Sin, even the least, and those especially which Your Age, and Company may most of all addict you to, and be not drawn away by the Evil Example, and enticements of others.
Take the Word of GOD for the Rule of your Walk, and let it be your care daily to Read it, Seriously to meditate on it, and govern your self in your whole deportment by it, that ordering your steps according to that Word, your way may be cleansed, your path may be shining, & your walk pleasant.
Let the Deliverance of your Body, lead you to Jesus Christ, to perfect Redemption for your Soul; see your self in an undone miserable State and Condition while a Stranger to Him, and a Captive to Sin, Satan and the World; and earnestly cry to him for help, and Subject your self to him, according to the Laws of the Gospel, casting your Soul upon him, relying upon him alone for Righteousness and Salvation, and following of him in the Regeneration; and by a holy Life let all Men see, that you are truly his Servant who hath loosed your Bonds.
While you were alone for so many Months, you had a long and peculiar time to Converse with GOD, and your own Soul, and every Day was as a Sabbath to you, wherein your thoughts were chiefly Restrained to GOD, and Nature; let it now be your care to maintain an Holy walk with GOD, in your Daily Converse with him in the Duties of Religion, and Devoutly Sanctify the Lords Day, as a special Day of Rest and Rejoycing to you, both upon a Spiritual and Temporal account. I will only further commend to you two or three Texts of Scripture for your Serious Consideration, viz. Prov. XIII. 20. He that walketh with wise men shall be wise, but a Companion of Fools shall be destroyed. Another Text is that, Psal. CXVI. 12, 13, 14. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his Benefits towards me? I will take the Cup of Salvation, and call upon the Name of the Lord; I will pay my Vows unto the Lord—The last I shall mind you of is that, Ezra. IX. 13, 14. After all that is come upon us for our evil deeds, seeing thou our God hast given us such Deliverance as this; should we again break thy Commandments,—wouldst thou not be angry with us, till thou hast consumed us, so that there should be no remnant or Escaping?
And O Joyful Parents! (who have been in Anguish of Spirit for this your Son, and have Travelled in Pain a Second time for him, Mourning in Bitterness of your Souls, because this your Joseph was not) behold the Lord hath looked upon you, he hath considered your Affliction, and turned again his Captivity, Surprising you with the unexpected, but Joyful Acclamation, that this your Son, which was Dead, is alive, he was lost, but is found. How were you like them that Dream; when the Evening before the last Lords Day, he unexpectedly came upon you, and brought the Welcom Tidings of his Safety, and his Arrival among you. And shall not you also endeavour a more Holy, Watchful, Fruitful Life and Conversation? Sure I am, GOD expects it from you. Well then, carefully render unto the Lord answerable to the distinguishing Benefits you have Received from him; and unite in the Doxology, Eph. III. 20, 21.Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be Glory in the Church by Christ Jesus, throughout all Ages, World without end.
Not Robinson Crusoe. 1725 pamphlet. Roatán is not this island. James kept the pages.