It is a part of his grant, that he will preserve. Should the Lord bestow the greatest stock of mercy upon us, and leave us to the wide world, we should quickly loose all; God is not like the Carpenter or the Mason, who buildeth up a house, and then leaveth it to it self, or to the care of others. The Lord surveys what he builds, and keeps up what he sets up; all would come down else. Providence succeedeth Creation, or Providence is a continued Creation. As soon as ever the Lord had made man, and a garden, He took the man and put him into the Garden, which he had made, to dress it, and to keep it (Gen. 2.15.) God putteth the creatures under mans charge, yet he keepeth all creatures in his own charge, and especially man: A Garden without a man to visit it would soon be a wilderness. And man without God to visit him, would soon be, or be in a wilderness, either out of order, or in danger. Achish promiseth David, I will make thee the keeper of my head for ever (1 Sam. 28.2.) His meaning was, he should be Captain of his guard. Great Princes have their guards, they have keepers of their heads. The great King of heaven and earth is a guard to the meanest man, and the keeper of his head. God enquires of Cain for his brother Abel (Gen. 4.) Where is Abel thy brother? What is become of him? Cain was angry at the question, Am I (saith he) my brothers keeper? We ought to be one another's keepers; our mutual visitations should preserve one another's spirits. Some are apt to think themselves too good for the work: others, that the work is too hard for them. It is our comfort, and it may be our assurance, that God hath neither of these thoughts, The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The Sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the Moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; He shall preserve thy soul: The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for evermore (Psal. 121.5.) How large a writ or patent of protection is granted here? No time shall be hurtful, neither day nor night; which include all times. Nothing shall hurt, neither Sun nor Moon, nor heat nor cold. These include all annoyances. Nothing shall be hurt, Thy soul shall be preserved, thy out-goings and thy comings in shall be preserved. These include the whole person of man, and him in all his just affairs and actions.
It is a part of his grant, that he will preserve. Should the Lord bestow the greatest stock of mercy upon us, and leave us to the wide world, we should quickly loose all; God is not like the Carpenter or the Mason, who buildeth up a house, and then leaveth it to it self, or to the care of others. The Lord surveys what he builds, and keeps up what he sets up; all would come down else. Providence succeedeth Creation, or Providence is a continued Creation. Assoon as ever the Lord had made man, and a garden, He took the man and put him into the Garden, which he had made, to dresse it, and to keep it (Gen. 2.15.) God putteth the creatures under mans charge, yet he keepeth all creatures in his own charge, and especially man: A Garden without a man to visit it would soon be a wildernesse. And man without God to visit him, would soon be, or be in a wildernesse, either out of order, or in danger. Achish promiseth David, I will make thee the keeper of my head for ever (1 Sam. 28.2.) His meaning was, he should be Captain of his guard. Great Princes have their guards, they have keepers of their heads. The great King of heaven and earth is a guard to the meanest man, and the keeper of his head. God enquires of Cain for his brother Abel (Gen. 4.) Where is Abel thy brother? What is become of him? Cain was angry at the question, Am I (saith he) my brothers keeper? We ought to be one anothers keepers; our mutuall visitations should preserve one anothers spirits. Some are apt to think themselves too good for the work: others, that the work is too hard for them. It is our comfort, and it may be our assurance, that God hath neither of these thoughts, The Lord is thy keeper, the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand. The Sunne shall not smite thee by day, nor the Moon by night. The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; He shall preserve thy soul: The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for evermore (Psal. 121.5.) How large a writ or patent of protection is granted here? No time shall be hurtfull, neither day nor night; which include all times. Nothing shall hurt, neither Sunne nor Moon, nor heat nor cold. These include all annoiances. Nothing shall be hurt, Thy soul shall be preserved, thy out-goings and thy comings in shall be preserved. These include the whole person of man, and him in all his just affairs and actions.