Gods Three Arrows, Section 48 – Section 49
§. 48. Of the interpretation and reſolution of the twelfth Verſe.
EXOD. XVII. XII.
But Moſes hands were heavy, and they tooke a ſtone and put it under him, and he ſate thereon: and Aaron and Hur ſtaid up his hands, the one on the one ſide, and the other on the other ſide, and his hands were ſteddy unto the going downe of the ſun.
THe performance of Moſes promiſe generally propounded in the tenth verſe, is here more diſtinctly exemplified. Where firſt the cauſe of Moſes letting downe his hands (whereof aVerſ. 11.before) is thus expreſſed, Moſes hands were heavy. bVerſ. 11.When he ſpake of holding up, he uſed the ſingular number, hand: but here making mention of his heavineſſe, he uſeth the plurall number, hands: whereby we are given to underſtand that firſt Moſes lift up one hand, and that waxing weary, he took the rod in the other hand, and lift up that: and ſo continued to change from hand to hand, til both hands were weary. The wearines of Moſes hands is ſet out by the heavines of them. For, if a mans hand be held up long, and ſteddily without ſtirring, it will waxe numne by reaſon of want of bloud, and coldneſſe of that bloud which is. That ſpirit which quickneth the members of a mans body is in the blood: blood failing, or waxing cold, the member for want of ſpirit, and the vigour thereof, becomes heavy, (as by experience we may obſerve in dead corps:) and heavineſſe of a mans hands makes him weary in holding them up. Wearineſſe then (which is an humane infirmity) was the cauſe of Moſes letting down his hands: whereby, as by an outward ſigne, the weakneſſe of his faith, and fainting of his ſoule and ſpirit is ſet out: as was noted c§ 42.before.
To helpe Moſes infirmity, Aaron and Hur finding a great ſtone (the beſt meanes that in that place they could find for Moſes eaſe) they bring it to the place where he ſtood, and ſo ſet it as he might conveniently ſit upon it, and continue the better to hold up the rod of God: the ſtone was like one of them which Ioſhua cauſed to be ſet in Iordan, a maſſie Ioſ. 4. 9.ſtone. The ſame title is given to them and this.
That which ſome alledge, as the end of laying this ſtone foreignby Moſes, that he might rest his elbow on it, can not well ſtand with this clauſe following in the text, and he ſate thereon.
As for means to ſettle his hand, and to make it the more ſteddy, it is added, And Aaron and Hur ſtaid up his hands. They put their hands under his elbow, and by their armes, the one on the one ſide, the other on the other ſide, kept his hands that they could not ſway aſide one way or other.
By this externall aſſiſtance, and ſupportance of Moſes hands in regard of his bodily weakneſſe, their joyning of ſpirits with his, their mutuall faithfull prayers are ſignified.
Such helpe did the fore-mentioned aſſiſtance bring to Moſes, as his hands which were before ſo heavy and feeble as he was forced to let them fall, remained ſteddy: and that not for an houre or two, but all the day, even untill the going downe of the ſun: which implieth, that his ſpirit was ſo revived by their mutuall and joynt prayers, as with much alacrity, and great ardency he continued to pray all the day long.
Here then is declared, The benefit of mutuall prayer.
More diſtinctly here is offered to our conſideration,
1. The Need thereof.
The Helpe thereof.
The Need is
1. Expreſſed, in theſe words, Moſes hands were heavy.
2. Exemplified, by the means uſed to ſupply that Need.
The Means were of two ſorts.
1. One for his Body.
2. Another for his Hand.
The Meanes for his body was a ſtone.
In ſetting downe hereof is noted
1. How it was prepared.
2. How it was uſed.
The Preparation is noted in two actions.
1. They tooke a ſtone.
2. They put it under him.
The uſe of it is in this phraſe, He ſate thereon.
In ſetting downe the means for his hand, is ſhewed,
1. What was done. Aaron and Hur ſtaid up his hands.
2. How it was done. The one on the one ſide, the other on the other.
The helpe received hereby was perſeverance, and that ſo long as was need. Here then we have,
1. The vigour which Moſes received. His hands were ſteddy.
2. The continuance thereof. Vntill the going downe of the ſunne.
The weakneſſe here manifeſted in Moſes giveth inſtance, that,
The best Saints are ſubject to dulneſſe in pious duties. Hereof before in §. 45.
The means uſed to ſupport him in this his weakneſſe, and the benefit received thereby is here eſpecially to be inſiſted upon.
Of the Perſons here aſſiſtant to Moſes, which were Aaron and Hur, ſufficient hath beene ſpoken, §. 38, 39, 40.
1. The notice and care that Aaron and Hur tooke of, and about Moſes weakneſſe, gives proofe, that,
I. Due conſideration is to be taken of one anothers weakeneſſe.
2. The means which they uſe in taking a ſtone, and putting it under him, ſheweth, that,
II. All good meanes must be uſed to ſupport our brothers weakneſſe.
3. Moſes manner of uſing the means (he ſate upon the ſtone) being a geſture not very proper to prayer, yeelds example, that,
III. Mans weakneſſe gaineth diſpenſation for circumſtances in divine matters.
4. The Action of Aaron and Hur, who ſtayed up Moſes hands, affords evidence, that,
IIII. We muſt be are one anothers burdens.
5. The Manner of doing it, One on the one ſide, the other on the other ſide, implieth, that,
V. Vnion of ſpirits is very helpfull.
6. The event following hereupon, that Moſes hands were ſteddy, declares, that,
VI. The weake are ſtrengthened by aid from others.
7. The continuance of all that was done, untill the going downe of the ſun, as it amplifieth the point before mentioned of the ſtrength which they that faint may receive by aid from others, ſo it gives demonſtration, that,
VII. If need require prayer must be long continued.
Herof read The whole Armour of God, on Eph. 6. 18. Treat. 3. Part. 2. §. 98. & Part. 6. §. 137, &c.
§. 49. Of conſidering others weakneſſe.
I. *See §. 48.DVe conſideration is to be taken of one anothers weakneſſe. Many are the exhortations of Scripture tending hereunto, ſuch as theſe, aPhil. 2. 4.Looke every man alſo on the things of others. bHeb. 10. 24.Let us conſider one another, &c.
The pitifull aſpect which the cLuke 10. 30.Samaritan caſt upon the wounded man commended by the Lord, and the Prieſts and Levites unmercifull paſſing by, reproved in the parable, do further give good evidence to the equity of the duty.
Notice and conſideration of our brothers need is the ground of that compaſſion which may be wrought in our bowels, whereby we are moved to afford the beſt ſuccour that we can. It is oft noted of Chriſt that fMat. 14. 14. Luk. 7 13.he ſaw ſuch and ſuch, and had compaſſion on them. gEzek. 16. 6.Yea God himſelfe thus expreſſeth the occaſion of that compaſſion which he ſhewed to his Church, When I paſſed by thee, and ſaw thee polluted, &c. God here taketh upon him the affection of man, whereby he ſheweth what may in man move compaſſion.
O that men would be watchfull one over another, to obſerve wherein their brother fainteth or faileth, and afford what helpe and ſuccour they can, as Abiſhai did to David, 2 Sam. 21. 15, 16, 17. Herein we ſhould prove as Gods one to another. Thus might Governours do much good to their Subjects, and Subjects againe to their Governours: So Miniſters to their People, and People to their Miniſters: So, Husbands and Wives, Neighbours and Neighbours, Friends and Friends, yea all of all ſorts. We are all one fleſh, mutuall members of one and the ſame body. Let us therefore be of like affection one to another, and as ready to helpe and ſuccour each other, as one member is to ſuccour another. Howſoever Cain moſt un-brotherly, yea very butcherly ſaid, Am I my brothers keeper? yet he ought to have beene his brothers keeper, as all of us are, and therefore as keepers of Gen. 4. 9.one another, we ought to conſider one another.