"
Here are, cousin Vincent, words of no little comfort unto every
Christian man. For by them we may see with what tender affection
God of his great goodness longeth to gather us under the
protection of his wings, and how often like a loving hen he
clucketh home unto him even those chickens of his that wilfully
walk abroad into the kite's danger and will not come at his
clucking, but ever, the more he clucketh for them, the farther
they go from him. And therefore can we not doubt that, if we will
follow him and with faithful hope come running to him, he shall in
all matter of temptation take us near unto him and set us even
under his wing. And then are we safe, if we will tarry there, for
against our will no power can pull us thence, nor hurt our souls
there. "Set me near unto thee," saith the prophet, "and fight
against me whose hand that will." And to show the great safeguard
and surety that we shall have while we sit under his heavenly
feathers, the prophet saith yet a great deal further, _"In
velamento alarum tuarum exaltabo."_ That is, that we shall not
only sit in safeguard when we sit by his sweet side under his holy
wing, but we shall also under the covering of his heavenly wings
with great exultation rejoice.
XI
Now, in the two next verses following, the prophet briefly
comprehendeth four kinds of temptations, and therein all the
tribulation that we shall now speak of, and also some part of that
which we have spoken of before.
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