The Blessing of Moses on the Tribe of Asher, Sermon
A SERMON Preached Septemb. 3. 1693.
On
DEUT. XXXIII. 25.
Thy Shooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs; and as thy Dayes, ſo ſhall thy Strength be.
I Have undertaken by the Aſſiſtance of God, to ſpeak to you on this Text; which was the Bleſſing of Moſes the Man of God, the Servant of God, particularly upon Aſher, the Tribe of Aſher.
Now the ſenſe of it is Prophetical: And ſo it Requires the Diligent Attendance, and Enquiry of our Thoughts; that we may be led into the Spiritual and Divine ſenſes and meaning of it. If you look into the Chapter, you will find, that it is the Bleſſing, wherewith Moſes the Man of God, Bleſſed the Children of Iſrael before his Death.
And if you ſhall ſay, How may this Concern us?
It is to be conſidered in Anſwer: That whatſover hath been ſpoken of Old, by the ſervants of God, in Relation to Iſrael in General; Iſrael, I ſay, conſidered Naturally, in the Natural Stock and Race, that proceeded from Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, the very ſame, every thing ſhall have its Courſe, ſhall have its Complement, ſhall have its fulfilling in the Spiritual Iſrael; in all thoſe that are the Iſrael of God. For, as the Apoſtle ſaith to the Galatians, Chap. 4. 26. The Jeruſalem which is above, is the Mother of us all: ſo that we are all within what was ſpoken of Jeruſalem, and of the Tribes of Iſrael; if we are indeed the Iſrael of God: As he uſes the very ſame Expreſſion: Peace be upon you, and mercy, and upon the Iſrael of God. This very Conſideration ought to Engage us into the Enquiry after Divine Truths, with relation to the natural Iſrael. Gal. 6. 6. As many as walk according to this Rule, Peace be on them, and Mercy, and upon the Iſrael of God.
And ſo, what was ſpoken Particularly to the Tribes, concerned in ſome regard or other, and ſhall Run down upon all the ſervants of God, who are all thoſe that make up the Twelve Tribes of Iſrael. As we find in the Revelation, Chap. 7. which Viſion, I am very well Aſſured (notwithſtanding ſome indeed would ſo Literally Interpret it) is to be underſtood of ſpiritual Iſrael. And I heard the number of them which were ſealed, of every one of the Tribes, or of all the Tribes of Iſrael. Ver. 4. I ſay, it concerns the ſpiritual Iſrael, that ſhall keep cloſe to God, in the Great Antichriſtian Apoſtacy. And therefore in Relation to them, ſhall all the Songs, and Bleſſings that were upon Iſrael, and the Tribes of it, come again (as I may ſo ſpeak with Reverence) into Force; they ſhall have their full Effect upon all the Servants of God. It is ſaid Rev. 15. Ver. 3. They ſung the Song of Moſes the ſervant of God. The Song of Moſes the Servant of God, is to have its courſe again in theſe Witneſſes of the Lamb. And ſo the Bleſſing of every one of the Tribes, and the Bleſſing of Aſher, ſhall have its Courſe, ſhall have its full Complement and Iſſue, and fullneſs, in all the People and Servants of God; even this very Text that I have now read to you, Thy ſhooes ſha…l be Iron and Braſs; and as thy days, ſo ſhall thy ſtrength be. We find therefore Rev. 21. that as there was the Names of the Apoſtles of the Lamb, upon the twelve foundations; ſo there was alſo twelve Gates, and they had upon them the Names of the twelve Tribes of the Children of Iſrael, Verſe 12.
This therefore I have ſpoken by way of Preface, that you may not think this great Text of Scripture is nothing to you, that it is nothing to us: But that we may know, that we have our ſhare and our Intereſt in it, and it ſhall be fulfilled in and upon us, if we are the Servants of God.
I come therefore to a more Particular Conſideration at this time, of Moſes's Bleſſing on Aſher.
Here are Two great Branches of this Text. Thy Shooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs, and as thy days, ſo ſhall thy ſtrength be. Aſher indeed was one of the Sons of Jacob by the Hand-maid of Leah: His Name imports Bleſſing; it was given to him by the Special Ordination of God, that he as the Father of one of the Tribes of Iſrael, might bear the Memorial of that Bleſſing, and Bleſſedneſs enſtated on the Spiritual Seed of Abraham, Iſaac, and Jacob, by God through him in whom all the Families of the Earth are Bleſſed; and in Relation to whom his Mother accounted her ſelf Bleſſed, in bearing a Son who ſhould be the Father of one of the Tribes of Iſrael, and bear the Type of Bleſſedneſs for all the Iſrael of God enſtated upon it by the God of Jacob, therefore ſhe called his Name Aſher; that is to ſay, Bleſſed. And ſaith Moſes, Thy ſhoes ſhall be Iron and Braſs, and as thy days, ſo ſhall thy ſtrength be.
Interpreters give the very literal Senſe to be this: That Aſher had the Portion, the Lot in the Land of Canaan, that was a Land of Mines, of Mines of Iron and Braſs; and that relating to this, Moſes ſaid, Thy ſhooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs: Thou ſhalt be (as it were) ſhod with Iron and Braſs; and throughout, thy Day ſhall be the ſtrength of Iron and Braſs.
Job ſaid, Is my ſtrength the ſtrength of braſs? Now herein Aſher is the Promiſe to the Servants of God, that their Shooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs, and their Day ſhall have a Proportion of ſtrength, every way fitted and ſuited to it.
And therefore I would give you the Spiritual ſenſe of theſe Words; and I would give it you out of Scripture, that you may find, that all Scripture has a Relation and a ſtrong Connection, one part of it with another. Eph. 6. 15. ſaith the Apoſtle, Having your feet ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace. Having an Aſſurance of the great Glory of the Goſpel of Peace, that ſhall break out upon you: And having a Preparation upon your ſelves, a readineſs to enter into the Glory, and into the Bleſſedneſs of that State; Having your feet ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace, You ſhall find your Feet in a Spiritual ſenſe ſhod with Iron and Braſs.
When any of us have our Feet ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace, then are our Shooes Iron and Braſs, then ſhall we be ready and able to tread upon Temptation and to overcome: To riſe up above the Power of Sin and Death, and to trample them under our Feet. Then ſhall we be enabled to tread upon the Lyon and the Scorpion, and upon the very power of the Enemy. As the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 16. 20. The God of peace ſhall bruiſe Satan under your feet ſhortly: This is becauſe their feet are ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace.
So this is the Promiſe in the Spiritual part of it, and it ſhall never ceaſe: This Promiſe ſhall have its Operation upon all the Servants of God; every one of them comes under the Bleſſing of every one of theſe Tribes; ſo this Bleſſing ſhall be accompliſhed and fulfilled in them. Their ſhooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs; and according to their day, ſo ſhall their ſtrength be; that is, conſider ſtrength how you will, as I ſhall preſently particularize to you. As their days, ſo ſhall their ſtrength be.
And thus having Opened to you the General Scope and Senſe of the Text, I ſhall lay down this Propoſition: That it is an Aſſured Bleſſing, a Bleſſing that is ſo conferr'd, ſo ſettled, ſo Enſtated upon every Servant of God, as he is of the Tribes of the Children of Iſrael; as he is one of the twelve Tribes, as he is one in every one of the Twelve Tribes, and ſo in Aſher: He ſhall have a Strength for the Day, overcoming all the power of the Enemy: For this is the Extenſion and Largeneſs of Spirituality; Every one in theſe Twelve Tribes in a Spiritual ſenſe, have a ſhare in every Bleſſing in a Spiritual ſenſe: And therefore upon every Servant of God this Bleſſing is enſtated and ſettled, that their Shooes ſhall be of Iron and Braſs; their Feet ſhall be ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace: and into whatſoever Encounter and Combat they come, as their Day is, ſo ſhall their ſtrength be; even to the uttermoſt State of Eternity it ſelf.
I ſhall therefore Propoſe to you, in the firſt Place, To open and to enlarge upon the Particulars of this Part, that their Shooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs: And then in the ſecond Place to open and enlarge upon that, That as their day is, ſo ſhall their ſtrength be: And then in the third place, I ſhall give you the Arguments and Reaſons for Aſſerting it, the Demonſtrations from Scripture of it: And in the fourth place, I ſhall lead you into the Proſpect (as Moſes gat up to take a view of all the Poſſeſſion of the Children of Iſrael) of all the great Glory of the Kingdom of Chriſt, that is aimed at in all theſe Bleſſings, and principally deſigned, and conclude with the Application of it.
I begin with the Firſt: Thy Shooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs; that is, Thou ſhalt tread upon any thing that ſtands in thy way, and thou ſhalt trample it down; thou ſhalt ſubdue it through the Power of Grace.
And this I ſhall open to you in theſe three or four Particulars, wherein the ſtrength of the Servants of God, that are every one as every one of the Tribes of Iſrael, and as this Tribe of Aſher; wherein,
Firſt, It ſhall be ſhew'd, in trampling upon the Power of Sin, in the Guilt of it; the treading down of the Power of Sin in the Guilt of it; that great Matter that Satan has againſt the Servants of God in regard of the guilt that is upon them; the Accuſations wherewith he would even give them not only the Foil, but the Fall, the Ruine and Deſtruction. He thinks to ſet upon them, and to undermine them, to overthrow their going, as the Expreſſion of David is: He thinks to overthrow their going in this great point, that they are Sinners, and lyable to Wrath, and Eternal Condemnation. Now to be able to tread upon the Baſilisk, and the Serpent in this matter; to be able to tread upon his Head, requires indeed Feet ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace; that is indeed with the Satisfaction, with the Blood, and with the Death and Reſurrection and Interceſſion of our Lord Jeſus: And who is able to do that, to lay faſt hold upon the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt? though there be nothing ſo deadly as to tread among the Scorpions of our own Sins, the Cry of which is againſt us like the Blood of Abel: And therefore I ſay, to walk amongſt theſe, it is to walk indeed amongſt the Gates of Death; to be treading upon Death it ſelf, that is ready to riſe up againſt us. Our footſteps are hunted, as the expreſſion of the Pſalmiſt is: Hunted by this great Accuſer of the Brethren; he follows us into our moſt private Retirements, into our Thoughts as far as he can divine at them; our Cloſets, our whole Converſation, our Company; our being at home, our being abroad; our being in Buſineſs, our being in Divertiſement; our being in our Trade, our being in the Duties of Holineſs, and drawing nigh to God; are all watch'd by him; he hunts our ſteps through all theſe, and there are Snares laid for us. As it was the ſtratagem of thoſe Times in War, that they drove ſharp ſtakes of Iron in the way of thoſe that were coming out againſt them; they had need then be ſhod with Iron and Braſs, that they might tread upon thoſe Spikes of Iron. Now ſo are the Accuſations of Satan ariſing from our Guilt, and when they are armed with the Juſtice of God, and the Holineſs and Purity of his Law, O! what ſhall we do if we are not ſhod with Iron and Braſs? If we have not the Aſſurance of the Love of God in Jeſus Chriſt? As the Apoſtle ſpeaks, Rom. 8. ſaith he, We are more than Conquerors through him that loved us. For I am perſwaded, that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things preſent, nor things to come; nor height, nor depth, nor any other Creature ſhall be able to ſeparate us from the love of God, which is in Chriſt Jeſus our Lord.
Here are the things that we are to walk amongſt, and to tread amongſt: Now if we have not Shooes of Iron and Braſs, how ſhall we be able to walk amongſt theſe? But through the Love of God in Jeſus Chriſt, we ſhall be in all theſe things more than Conquerours. O! therefore, let us look to this, to have the Feet of our Conſciences (if I may ſo expreſs it) to have them ſhod with Iron and Braſs, with that certain defence of the Blood of Jeſus: And then as Jeſus Chriſt ſpeaks of himſelf in that Prophecy of Iſaiah, wherein he repreſents himſelf coming out againſt his Adverſaries; ſaith he, in Iſaiah 63. 3. I have trodeen the Wine preſs alone, and of the people there was none with me: I will tread them in mine anger, and trample them in my fury; and their blood ſhall be ſprinkled upon my Garment, and I will ſtain all my Raiment. Something like this every Saint may ſay.
Chriſt will have a Glorious Victory upon all his Enemies, whoever, and of what kind ſoever they are. Who is he that will condemn me, ſaith he in another place. He is near that juſtifieth me: And therefore I have ſet my face like a flint; and I know I ſhall not be aſhamed, I ſhall not be confounded. When we have this Armour of Proof, this Armour of the Righteouſneſs of Chriſt on the right Hand, and on the left, we ſhall not be diſcouraged, till we have obtained the Victory over all: For he is Mighty that is in us, and that hath undertaken for us, and that hath provided us this great defence againſt the Guilt of Sin, againſt the Wrath of God, againſt all, that the Accuſer of our Souls can raiſe up againſt us.
In the Second Place: Our Feet ſhall be ſhod with Iron and Braſs, in regard of all the Temptations to Sin, and from the World. However, they may be very great, and very ſharp; what by way of Enticement to Pleaſure, or what by way of Terror in ſuffering; whatſoever is the Method, and the Device, and the Stratagem of this great Enemy of our Souls, we ſhall be able (having our Feet ſhod with Iron and Braſs) to overcome him, having a holy Reſolution, a holy Purpoſe of Soul; yea, though we may fall, yet we ſhall riſe again. He will keep us in all our Ways. And this Defence, theſe Shooes, theſe War like Boots (as the Scripture ſometimes ſpeaks of) theſe ſhall defend us againſt all the Power of Temptations: We ſhould therefore go out in that ſtrength of the Lord our God; we ſhould go out in that Armour of Jeſus Chriſt, that Armour of God, as the Apoſtle calls it, in the Epheſians, and perſwades every one that they would take care to be Armed (as we ſay) Cap-a-pe, from Head to Foot throughout; that we ſhould be Armed with the whole Armour of God, Epheſ. 6. 11. That ye may be able to ſtand againſt the wiles of the Devil: For we wreſtle not againſt fleſh and blood, but againſt principalities, againſt powers, againſt the Rulers of the darkneſs of this World, againſt ſpiritual wickedneſs in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withſtand in the evil day, and having done all to ſtand.
O! if we did but find that we are ſhod with the preparation of the Goſpel of peace, this Iron and Braſs, we ſhould be able to tread down all the Temptations that come to draw us off from God, and to Sin; we ſhould tread them as the Mire of the ſtreet, we ſhould never leave threſhing, and purſuing of them; Threſhing of them, as the Scripture expreſſion is: Ariſe, and threſh, O Daughter of Zion, for I will make thy horns Iron, and thy hoofs Braſs: Ariſe therefore, and threſh: So we ſhould ariſe, and threſh all the Power of Temptation that comes againſt us. O! how mighty ſhould we be in the ſtrength of God! If we conſider that great Love of God in Jeſus Chriſt, who can ſin againſt him? That great Love of Chriſt that conſtrains us: If we had the Power of dying to Sin, and of living in Newneſs of Life, through the Reſurrection of Jeſus Chriſt, as the Apoſtle admirably expreſſes it, in the firſt Epiſtle of John, 5 Chapter, 4 Ver. ſaith he, Whatſoever is born of God, overcometh the World; and this is the Victory that overcometh the World, even our Faith. Who is he that overcometh the World, but he that believeth that Jeſus is the Son of God? Let us therefore lay hold upon the Arguments of the Goſpel, upon the Strength and Power of Jeſus Chriſt, in the Faith of his great undertaking: In that Faith let us go out and Conquer, let us go out and prevail. O! how would it raiſe us above this World, above the fears of it, above the delights of it, above the pleaſures of it! if we had but the Power of this Faith, if we had but this Victory of Faith in us, and upon us.
In the Third Place, it would enable us to tread even upon Death it ſelf; upon all the Afflictions that are in our way to Heaven, and upon that King of Terrors, Death it ſelf: For, though indeed we apprehend Death to be nothing but a Privation of Life in the General; yet we know as we are Chriſtians, it is an Inlet into Eternity: Even Nature ſtarts at it, as it is a Ceſſation, and putting an end to the life and motion, and action wherein we are converſant now; it looks much more dreadful to us, as it opens into Eternity. But if we were but ſhod with Iron and Braſs, we ſhould find theſe Shooes of Iron and Braſs would carry us through, and we ſhould be able to tread even upon the ſharpneſs of Death, and the Grave; we ſhould find the great Power of Jeſus Chriſt enabling of us, becauſe he has overcome Death: Even as he has overcome the World, ſo he has overcome Death. We ſhould never leave trying and proving this Armour of God upon the Feet of our Souls, till we find that we can walk even upon Graves, and upon our own Graves; among the Tombs, and not be affrighted when we find we are carried thrô and thrô, and that we maſter and tread down as we go. We ſhould, I ſay, not only come and die when we muſt die, but before-hand we ſhould be armed at theſe very points; we ſhould find our Shooes herein to be of Iron and Braſs. Obſerve how triumphant David ſpeaks in the 23d. Pſalm, Yea, though I walk through the Valley of the ſhadow of death: Where I don't know what may lye in my way, what may riſe up againſt me; I do not know what are the Secrets, what Ambuſcades there are in the Valley of Death; I don't know what Powers are appointed and prepared to Deſtroy. Yea, (in the 4th. Verſe) though I walk through the Valley of the ſhadow of Death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, &c. This would bear us through, and carry us with great Reſolution, and with undauntedneſs of Courage: For, the great expreſſion of our Action (you know, in Scripture) is very much in our feet, in our walking. Now therefore, to have our Feet thus ſhod, it would enable us to get up above theſe things; to be aloft over the things that are ſo dreadful and terrible to Fleſh and Blood. Hab. 3. 9. The Lord is my ſtrength, and he will make my feet like Hinds feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places: And therefore I can ſing, I can ſet a Song to the Chief Singer on my ſtringed Inſtruments. Becauſe I have ſuch an Aſſurance, ſuch an Elevation and Exultation of Soul in the Lord, I will rejoyce in the Lord, (Ver. 18.) and glory in the God of my Salvation, although the Fig-tree ſhall not bloſſom, &c. Although there be no outward appearance of Good. O how timerous, how Cowardly are we, how ready to be affrighted at any appearance of Death! that in all our Diſcourſe we cannot endure the thing Dying: But were our Shooes but of Iron and Braſs, it would be eaſie, the way would be plain before us, we ſhould be able to ſtrike through every thing, and to the overcoming of it. And then
In the Laſt place, Our Shooes being of Iron and Braſs, we ſhall be born up even when we have paſs'd out of the Body: For, though indeed we do not know the things that are beyond Death, none have come back to give us an Account, how it is with Spirits when they have left the Body: I ſay, none have come to give us Account; only the Word of God, that aſſures us, and tells us, that we ſhall be upon Precipices, when we go out of the World, if we are not apprehended by Chriſt. Though undoubtedly Satan hath way-laid the way of Spirits going out of the Body, with all the Incumberances he can poſſibly. As I told you before, it was the method of former times in War, they took care to lay whatever could incommode their Enemies Feet, with Stakes of Iron and Braſs, that might make the paſſage very difficult. So undoubtedly, that loſt and undone Spirit, that Envious Spirit, that great Adverſary of Souls, does whatever he can do to way-lay Spirits going out of the Body, and entering into the State of Eternity, and going up to the Throne of God, and the Throne of Chriſt, he does whatever he can do; but theſe Shooes of Iron and Braſs ſhall carry us through. Jeſus Chriſt himſelf hath taken care to remove him out of the way, ſo far as is neceſſary: and the great Action of the Spirit of a Saint going upo to Chriſt, and going up to God, it ſhall be ſuſtained and maintained by him, and he will arm us wherein ſoever we lye open to Diſadvantage, and to Danger: There will Chriſt more peculiarly provide; for I make no doubt, there is no one ſingle motion of the Spirits of Saints, but Chriſt hath ſo guarded, and ſo taken care of, as that very motion that we read of, Eccleſ. 12. 7. The Duſt returning to the Earth as it was, and the Spirit to God that gave it. Now, what are (as I ſaid before) the Ambuſcades? What are the ſecret Linings of the way (as we ſpeak in Terms of War) lining all the Avenues of the way we know not? Satan hath lined them all with what may utterly ſpoil and deterr our motion up to God.
But Jeſus Chriſt having firſt armed us with Shooes of Iron and Braſs, he himſelf will be found in the way, and he'll ſuſtain our paſſage, and cover our paſſage, and bear up all our motions unto God.
And ſo I have opened the firſt of the great Expreſſions of the Bleſſedneſs that Moſes expreſſes of Aſher; Thy Shooes ſhall be Iron and Braſs: Of which, all the Mines that were in the Lot of Aſher, in that part of his poſſeſſion, they were but Types to ſet out this Almighty Power, this Almighty ſtrength of God unto Salvation.
And therefore I ſhall cloſe this Head of Diſcourſe with that in the 4th. Chapter of the Epiſtle to the Philippians, 7th. Verſe, ſaith he, The Peace of God which paſſeth all underſtanding. As he calls him the God of peace, Rom. 16. ſo here, The Peace of God which paſſeth all underſtanding, ſhall keep your hearts.
It is an Expreſſion either taken from a Guard of a City, or about the Perſon of any one. He ſhall keep (as under Guard and Defence) your Hearts and Minds through Chriſt Jeſus; a Peace that paſſes all underſtanding. O therefore, that we were but more acquainted, that we had but more of the Experiment of this Glorious Chriſtianity, of this real Vertue and Power of it! We are too much Strangers to it, and averſe. We converſe more in the Formalities, than in theſe mighty Powers and Principles of it! O how ſhould we try our ſelves, and put our ſelves by the Thoughts and Conſideration of Danger beforehand, to find out theſe Shooes of Iron and Braſs, the Neceſſity of them.
I come to the Second, which is a very great Expreſſion: As thy Days, ſo ſhall thy ſtrength be. I know ſome tranſlate the word, ſignifying ſtrength, to this ſenſe; As thy Days, ſo ſhall thy Fame be: But this is rejected by the moſt Judicious Jewiſh, as other Interpreters; ſo I would open it to you in theſe following Particulars, that you may know what is the Importance of it: As thy Day, or, as thy Days, ſo ſhall thy Strength be.
In the firſt place it ſignifies, That at any time when God ſees fit to bring us within the encounter of Danger, then he will take care by a peculiar Preſence, by a peculiar undertaking for us, by a peculiar Furniture, and preſent Suggeſtion, that we ſhall be carried through. In that Hour ſhall be given a Mouth, and ſo a Strength, the Adverſary ſhall not be able to reſiſt; for he knows what the Day is, and he will accordingly provide, he will give a proportion of ſtrength according unto that: He knows what kind of Day it is, what Ingredients it has, what kind of Temperature, how every thing ſhall fall out: Now ſaith God, and ſaith our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, I muſt conſider what a Day ſuch a Servant of mine is to come under, and what he is to undergo; I muſt therefore take care that he has a ſtrength proportionable, that he have a ſtrength ſuitable to it. Pſal. 27. 1. ſaith David, The Lord is my Light, and my Salvation, whom ſhall I fear? The Lord is the ſtrength of my life, of whom ſhall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes came upon me to eat up my fleſh, they ſtumbled and fell. Though an Hoſt ſhould encamp againſt me, my heart ſhall not fear; though War ſhould riſe againſt me, in this will I be confident. Here is the great Aſſurance of the Servants of God, that let the Day be as dark, let the Day be as Critical a Day as can be, let it be a Day of the greateſt deciſion, yet he that hath an Infinity of ſtrength, and that knows the Day to every particular Action of it, he will take care that there ſhall be a Furniture and Proviſion of ſtrength ſuitable to it.
And though you may ſay, (for ſo you may Object) Aye, but do not oftentimes the Servants of God ſtumble and fall? Have they not great Falls and great Defeats, as it were?
It is true, it may be ſo; even as the Children of Iſrael in that of Ai, when the Accurſed thing was taken by Achan: But there ſhall be no reſt of things, till God hath reclaimed, and brought them back: He'll never leave, till he hath brought them back again: he'll bring a freſh ſtrength, he'll rally their force again, and as their Day is, ſo ſhall their ſtrength be: For he hath ſet down and counted what is neceſſary to come againſt the ſtrength, againſt the Power of ſuch a Day, and he will be ſure to take care in it. Deut. 33. 26. There is none like unto the God of Jeſurun, who rideth upon the Heaven in thy help, and in his excellency on the Sky; the Eternal God is thy Refuge, and underneath are the everlaſting Arms, and he ſhall thruſt out the Enemy from before thee, and ſhall ſay, Deſtroy them. Iſrael ſhall dwell alone in ſafety, and none to trouble him. Verſe 28, 29. Happy art thou, O Iſrael, who is like unto thee, O people ſaved by the Lord, the ſhield of thy help, and who is the Sword of thy Excellency! and thine Enemies ſhall be found Lyars unto thee, and thou ſhalt tread upon their high places. O! how great is the Aſſurance that God here gives! therefore, As thy Day, ſo ſhall thy ſtrength be. They prevented me in the day of my Calamity, (ſaith David) but the Lord was my ſtay.
In the Second Place, it ſignifies this, That to the length of days, I ſay, that to the longeſt of days, that God has allotted to any of his Servants, ſo ſhall their ſtrength be. To the length of Days; if God hath determined to any of his Servants a ſhort Life, that a great deal of Life may be gathered up into a little Time: As is their day, ſo ſhall their ſtrength be; that is, they ſhall find a proportion of ſtrength, to the ſhortneſs of that State and Condition wherein they ſhall be in the World. Thus you find in the 5th. Chapter of Geneſis, concerning Enoch, he was the ſhorteſt Liver of all thoſe Patriarchs before the Flood. And (in the 22d. Verſe) Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuſelah three hundred years, and begat Sons and Daughters: and all his days were but three hundred ſixty and five years. A very ſhort time of Life, in compariſon of the reſt: but he Husbanded that time, as was his Day, ſo was his Strength; he walked at a high rate with God, he walked a great way in a little time, he aſcended high in his Walk with God; And he was not, for God took him. So according to the Day, according to the length of his Day, ſo was his ſtrength: I ſay, he lived but a ſhort time in the World, but he did a great deal of Work in that ſhort time; his Heart was mightily lifted up in the ways of God.
Again, On the other ſide, if God hath determined a long Time for his Servants: As their Days, ſo ſhall their Strength be, even unto Old Age, and the hoary head, He is He that will bear them up. Therefore we ſhould not be afraid we ſhall forſake God at Laſt; God will not leave us, even in the Oldeſt Time of Life: For, God is exceeding careful of his own Honour in this Regard: I ſay he is Exceeding in his Care herein: Pſalm 92. 12, 13. The Righteous ſhall flouriſh like the Palm-tree; he ſhall grow like the Cedar in Lebanon. Thoſe that be planted in the houſe of the Lord, ſhall flouriſh in the Courts of our God. They ſhall ſtill bring forth Fruit in Old Age; they ſhall be fat and flouriſhing: To ſhew that the Lord is upright: he is my Rock, and there is no unrighteouſneſs in him.
God is carefull in this; It ſhall not be ſaid, That there is any Unrighteouſneſs in Him; It ſhall not be ſaid, He left any of his Servants in their Old Age, He was weary of them in their Old Age: But they ſhall flouriſh like the Palm-tree; and they ſhall be fat and flouriſhing. For, the Grace of God is able to run a Line Parallel with the longeſt of any of our Lives; and his Grace ſhall be ſufficient for us, even to the very laſt, and in the very end of Days: As I have already ſpoken to you.
But then there is a Third, and Higher ſenſe: As thy Days, ſo ſhall thy ſtrength be. Now, as his Shooes are of Iron and Braſs; ſo his Dayes are to be numbred, even in that Kingdom of Jeſus Chriſt, and that Kingdom of Eternity. There is therefore a ſtrength ſuitable to that State of Glory, of Eternal Glory and Salvation, in the Kingdom of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt.
Conſider, Indeed it is a length of Duration beyond Expreſſion, beyond Comprehenſion. The thouſand years that the Scripture ſpeaks of, that the Kingdom of Chriſt ſhall be in viſible Glory; that is, fully taken care for, and the ſtate of Eternity after that, or the ſtate of Eternity rather comprehending that, and one with it: Of that Kingdom there ſhall be no end, for as the Day, or Days of Eternity, ſo their ſtrength ſhall be the ſtrength of Eternity. So in that vaſtneſs of Eternity, a Created Being that could not uphold and bear up it ſelf, it ſhall be born up by that Fountain of Life that is in God, and by that Great Mediator of Life, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt: He will take care, that even throughout Everlaſtings of Everlaſtings, there ſhall not be the leaſt Retraction, a retracting, a drawing back of the Powers and Spirits of Life. As the Days of Eternity, ſo ſhall be the ſtrength of the Servants of God.
O! how unſpeakable, how incomprehenſibly Glorious is this, that God hath ordained for everlaſting every one of our Spirits! It is not a Life of fifty, ſixty, eighty, or a hundred Years, or any ſuch Time to live the Life of Senſe and Body.
It is all nothing, how long ſoever it be. We ſay, 'twas a wonderful Providence that kept Methuſelah ſo long, to ſo great an Age, to reach almoſt to a thouſand Years. Alas! this is nothing, though it be very great; yet we ſhould think, if we lived hundreds of Years in this Life, how ſhould we do for the Supports of it, and for the Vigorous of it.
But now our Days are for the Days of Eternity; but as our Days, ſo ſhall our ſtrength be. And God hath aſſured this to us, in the 16th. Pſalm, laſt Verſe, Thou wilt ſhew me the path of life; in thy preſence is fulneſs of joy, and at thy right hand there are pleaſures for evermore: So that every way, take the Days of the Servants of God how we will, as are our Days, ſo ſhall be our ſtrength.
I come to the third Thing I Propoſed, and that was, to Argue the Certainty of this; I ſay, to argue the certainty of it, and it ſtands upon theſe two Conſiderations, which I ſhall very briefly preſent to you.
Firſt, It ariſes from that Infinite ſtrength of the Love of God in Jeſus Chriſt made over to his Servants. If he rides in his Excellency on the Sky; if he will undertake for us, if he will be our Refuge whoſe are the Everlaſting Arms; if they lye under, it is impoſſible notwithſtanding all Enemies, we ſhould fall, he will thruſt them utterly out: There ſhall be no power of Satan, there ſhall be no power of Sin, no power of Death, but whatſoever it be, it ſhall be ſhut out for ever in the Lake; He'll ſay, thruſt them out, and deſtroy them. If he, I ſay, undertake, how can it be otherwiſe; if he will ride in the Heaven for our ſake? We ſhould therefore often ſay to our ſelves, Let us conſider, in all the Jealouſies of our Natures, and of our weak Beings; in the midſt of all theſe, have we not an Eternal God? Have we not an Infinite and Omnipotent Being? If he take ſuch a Drop of Being as I am, this trembling Drop, and if he'll ſay, I'll encloſe this little Drop in my own Omnipotency, and ſet it in the Ocean of my own Immenſe Being, and I'll take care and ſecure it every moment. How ſafe are we! As we find in that Song God commanded to be ſung, Iſa. 27. 2, 3. In that day ſing ye unto her, A Vineyard of red Wine, I the Lord do keep it, I will water it every moment: I will keep it, and ſuſtain it from the firſt to the laſt; from the very beginning of the Creation to Eternity; and from Electing Love in Eternity, throughout Eternity of Ages. I the Lord will keep it, I will water it every moment, leſt any hurt it, I will keep it night and day: And ſo it ariſes from the Infiniteneſs of God, and from that Unchangeableneſs, that he will never fail, that he will never take off his Help.
And therefore God's ſtrength is our ſtrength, and God's Eternity is our Security, and the certainty of our ſtate of life. O! how excellent therefore is that in the 40th. of Iſaiah, 27th. Verſe, Why ſayeſt thou, O Jacob, and ſpeakeſt O Iſrael, my way is hid from the Lord, and my Judgment is paſſed over from my God? Haſt thou not known, haſt thou not heard, that the everlaſting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the Earth fainteth not, neither is weary, there is no ſearching of his underſtanding: He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he encreaſeth ſtrength; even the Youths ſhall faint and he weary, and the Young men ſhall utterly fail: But they that wait upon the Lord ſhall renew their ſtrength, they ſhall mount up with wings as Eagles; they ſhall run, and not be weary, they ſhall walk, and not faint.
O! If we could read, and meditate, and unite, and Conſolidate ſuch a Scripture as this with our own Hearts, with what certainty might we ſay, As our Days, ſo ſhall our ſtrength be? Take them any way, as I have now deſcribed and Repreſented them to you: Becauſe the Creator of the ends of the Earth fainteth not, neither is weary; there is no ſearching of his Underſtanding. He giveth power to the faint, &c.
And then in the ſecond place, it ariſes from that great Interpoſer betwixt God and us, the Lord Jeſus Chriſt, into whoſe hands he hath entruſted ſtrength, and laid help upon him, becauſe he is mighty.
I am perſwaded, we are not able to ſpeak of the great Security that Jeſus Chriſt is, between the Eternal God, and ſuch Creatures as we are. We do not know it, we ſhall know it, but we do not yet know it; no one is able to expreſs it to us, as the thing it ſelf is. We are not able to Declare or Expreſs the thing plentifully, as the expreſſion is in Job. Plentifully as it is, it is rather a matter of Profeſſion to us, or a matter of Confeſſion of Faith, and we cannot tell how to ſay it otherwiſe: But Oh the Infinite value of it, the Infinite Security of it, that it holds God and all his Saints together, that they can never be Divorced, they never ſhall be ſeparated.
This I ſay, the Interpoſal of Chriſt, it is ſo faſt, ſo ſtable, ſo firm a thing, that all that can be ſpoken of it, is not any way equal to it. All the Diſcourſes, though they are never ſo wiſe and good, betwixt the Creator and the Creature; betwixt Infinite Mind, and the Intellectual and Rational Creature; though they are expreſs'd never ſo well in the main, and never ſo true; though men are never ſo Great and Wiſe in theſe Diſcourſes; they cannot come near the high ſenſe of the Expreſſions of our Lord in this Great Point, who hath Loved us, and Reconciled us, and in whom the Creature loſt in it ſelf is united Spiritually to God in him.
Men do not enough conſider that Indiſſoluble Centre of Union our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, who can never be removed out of the Centre, and that all the Lines run and meet in him.
To conſider this, and to underſtand this, I ſay, I do not know who is able to expreſs the thing as it is, to declare the thing plentifully as it it is. The Secret of this point of Wiſdom, I am fully aſſured is double; nay, a thouſand-fold to all we know, and to all we can ſpeak. It is ſumm'd up admirably in that 17th. of John, that I have heretofore mentioned in ſuch Diſcourſes as theſe, and always I am ready to mention, it is ſo great: And I have declared unto them thy Name, and will declare it, that the love wherewith thou haſt loved me, may be in them, and I in them: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one, and that the World may believe that thou haſt ſent me, and haſt loved them as thou haſt loved me. Ver. 24. Father I will, that they alſo whom thou haſt given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou haſt given me; for thou lovedſt me before the foundation of the World: That they all may be one, as thou Father art in me, and I in thee, that they alſo may be one in us, &c. Ver. 21. 23, 24, 26.
Now in theſe things, the Union by Vertue of the Interpoſal of our Lord Jeſus Chriſt, is ſo great, that I ſay, we do but quibble in compariſon; Men do but quibble, when they talk of Union between the Creator and the Creature, except they conſider this great Intervention, the coming between of the Lord Jeſus. I doubt not, take the Holieſt Saint in Heaven, if there were no Interpoſer between God and them, but they might be loſt, though they are in the preſent Happineſs and Bleſſedneſs of the Enjoyment of God. Here is the Lord Jeſus coming between, Father I will, that they alſo whom thou haſt given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my Glory which thou haſt given me, &c.
This is our great Security, and this is that that makes our Shooes indeed to be Iron and Braſs, and that as our Day is, ſo our Strength ſhall be.
I come therefore to the Laſt Particular, and that is, to ſhew that there muſt be a Time, when this ſhall be Triumphant: I ſay, there muſt be a Time of Glorious Appearance.
For, the World dares Contradict this now, the World dares laugh at it; they dare to take upon them to ſay, This is nothing but Fancy, this is nothing but Talk, this is nothing but a high flight of Expreſſion; or (as they call it) a Cant, a High Cant of Talk, a high Enthuſiaſm, a heated Fancy; therefore, I ſay, there muſt be a Time, that ſhall out-face all theſe Taunts, that ſhall out-look them; for Scoffers can look againſt Saints now, and they can ſay, as they in Nehemiah ſaid, What will theſe pitifull people do? what will theſe ſilly feeble folk do, to ſpeak of things at this rate? Do we not ſee how their Faith, and their Confidence ſtaggers at every turn? Are they not in fear? And does not their Faith ſink low? and are they not afraid to Dye? and are they not oftentimes under horror and trouble of Conſcience? How can theſe things be?
Now I ſay, notwithſtanding this, there is a hold of things, even now, that can never be turn'd off: There is a Conſibulation, as I may ſo call it; a Claſp of things, held by God and Jeſus Chriſt now, that can never be ſeparated; But it muſt come into a more Triumphant State; and it muſt come to that, that it muſt be viſible. And therefore, as I have often ſaid, there is a Thouſand years to make it ſo, wherein there ſhall be a mutual Aſpect of God on the Saints, and of the Saints on God, that ſhall be made viſible to all: And the Wicked ſhall grieve, and look on and wonder to ſee, and gnaſh their Teeth to ſee what a Union here is ſtruck and Conſolidated betwixt God and the Souls of his Saints through Jeſus Chriſt.
It will be their Horror and Aſtoniſhment for ever: And therefore Chriſt ſpeaks in that 17th. of John, I named to you before; that the World may believe: Believe as the Devils believe, and Tremble; they ſhall be forced to believe: ſaith our Lord, that the World may believe that thou haſt ſent me, and haſt loved them, as thou haſt loved me, (latter part of the 21st. Verſe:) That the World may know it, and that the World may believe it: This is that which God will take care to ſhew, he'll magnifie himſelf by at that Day. Then ſhall all the Servants of God come out in their Shooes of Braſs and Iron, (as I may ſo expreſs it) and they ſhall tread down every thing that hath been an Enemy to them, they ſhall tread it down as the Mire of the ſtreet; they ſhall come out Armed, and trample the Nations in Anger, and Fury, for it is given to them, even as to Chriſt; they ſhall trample and Rule the Nations with a Rod of Iron. This Honour have all his Saints.
This I ſpeak, (God knows) not for Language ſake, or for Expreſſion ſake, but what I am fully aſſured of, and what I have ſuch Evidence of Scripture for, that theſe things ſhall come into the greateſt, moſt open, and manifeſt Appearance that can be: And then ſhall be fulfilled, what is written in the 7th. of Micah, 16th. Verſe, The Nations ſhall ſee, and be confounded at their might; they ſhall lay their hand upon their mouth, their ears ſhall be deaf: They ſhall lick the duſt like a Serpent, they ſhall move out of their holes like Worms of the earth; they ſhall be afraid of the Lord our God, and ſhall fear becauſe of thee.
O! how great ſhall this State of Things be! I ſay, how great ſhall it be! And then ſaith he in the 10th. Verſe, Then ſhe that is mine Enemy ſhall ſee it, and ſhame ſhall cover her which ſaid unto me, Where is the Lord thy God? You ſhall ſee (ſay the Enemies of Saints) all this that you talk of, what a dark Cloud it will ſet in.
When the Servants of God come to be in Affliction, and come to Dye, Why then ſayes the Enemy, where is the Lord thy God? Where are theſe Shooes of Iron and Braſs? where is this Strength according to the Day? where is the Lord thy God? Mine eyes ſhall behold her. I'll look upon them, I'll laugh at them, I'll ſcorn them, becauſe I ſee no ſuch thing. But ſaith the Spirit of God, Now ſhall they be trodden down as the mire of the ſtreets. All the Enemies of God ſhall be trodden down as the mire of the ſtreets: And as David in the 18th. Pſalm, expreſſes with what Courage and Power, and mighty Succeſs he went out againſt his Enemies; ſaith he, Then did I beat them ſmall as the duſt: and thou haſt given me the ſhield of thy Salvation, and thy right hand hath holden me up, (Ver. 35.) Thy gentleneſs hath make me great: Thou haſt enlarged my ſteps under me, that my feet did not ſlip. My Feet were ſhod with Iron and Braſs, that they did not ſlip.
As you know Shooes of Iron and Braſs they keep ſteady and firm, not ſlippery. I have purſued mine Enemies, and overtaken them; neither did I turn again, till they were conſumed: I have wounded them, that they were not able to riſe, they are fallen under my feet. And ſo he goes on, expreſſing it, that he beat them ſmall, as the very Duſt before the wind, and there was none to ſave them. Ver. 22. And I caſt them out as the Dirt in the ſtreet.
And if you ſay, But O! how ſhall this be to ſuch Sinners as we are? How can we look for ſuch a thing as this is? Do we not find that we are Men of the ſame Infirmities, of the ſame Paſſions, of the ſame Corruptions? Therefore Micah goes on, Micah 7. 18. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and paſſeth by the tranſgreſſion of the remnant of his heritage? He retaineth not his anger for ever, becauſe he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compaſſion upon us; he will ſubdue our iniquities, and thou wilt caſt all their ſins into the depth of the Sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou haſt ſworn unto our Fathers from the days of old.
Therefore let us all Encourage our ſelves that wait upon God: for we ſhall renew our ſtrength, let our caſe be never ſo dark and gloomy; let things be never ſo hard, yet the knor of Union that is faſtned betwixt Chriſt and us, and ſo with God, it ſhall ſecure us to hold out throughout Eternities of Eternities.
Let us therefore encourage our ſelves (in regard of every thing) in the Lord our God, and wait for that great ſtate of things that certainly is very near; That that Day, as it is often called in the Prophets: In that Day, and that Day. Now that Day, (as I may ſo expreſs it to you) it is very near.
Let us therefore now Encourage our ſelves in the Lord our God, &c.
FINIS.
End of the text · Thomas Beverley, The Blessing of Moses on the Tribe of Asher (1693)