Stand Still, Sermon · Part 4
Stand still, not Fighting.
4. How Moses here biddeth the people not to Fight.Passe wee now to the fourth and last Branch of this Direction here given by Moses to the people, Stan… still, i.e. not Fighting. Not Fighting (you may say?) What then? Would Moses have them to yeeld up their throats to the Sword of the Enemy? Not so, Moses had no such intent any wayes to debarre them of their Inculpata tutela, their just and necessary defence; or yet to tye their hands, so as that they should lay downe their liberties and lives, (both which God had now given them as a prey to themselves) at the foot of a lawlesse and mercilesse Tyrant. Moses, though educated in Pharoahs Court, yet had he not learnt that Language: But, in as much as he saw that the people had neither hands not hearts, neither power nor will to fight, to encounter so Potent an Adversary, therefore he bids them stand still; thereby intimating unto them, that for the present there should be no need of their fighting; God would take the cause into his owne hand, fighting for them against his, and their Enemies. In this sense, the Prophet I…haziel speakes to Ichoshaphat, and to the rest of the people in that 2 Chron. 20. 2▪ Chron. 20.When they were in a like condition, their Country being invaded, and in danger to be over-runne by a Potent Enemy, whom they were not able to oppose; for their encouragement, the Prophet telleth them, that there should be no need of their fighting.vers. 17. Yee shall not need to fight in this Battell, set your selves, stand yee still; Consistite, State, stand still, stand, (saith he:) therein no question having an eye to the words of Moses here in the Text. In both which places, this word of Command, [stand still] being so understood, it is to be taken not for a generall Rule, but for a particular Direction;'Fuit ho… peculiari, quod eo… quiescere jussit. Lavater, in 2 Chron. 20. vers. 17. not shewing what others are to doe, or not to doe in the like condition, but onelyonly what they were to doe at that time. The generall Rule doth not allow Christians any such stupid or carelesse securitie, as that being in danger they should stand still, casting themselves upon a naked and immediate Providence, without the use of any meanes for their deliverance and safetie. This they may not doe without an immediate warrant and direction from God. So had Moses (no question) here at the Red Sea. So Calvin interprets those words which wee meet with in the 15 vers. of this chapter, where it is said; that the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore cryest thou unto me? Exod. 14.15.Speake unto the children of Israel, &c. Here the question may be, when it was that the Lord spake this to Moses? Whether before Moses gave this incouragement to the people, or after? Calvin inclines to the former, rendring the word, to avoid ambiguity, (as he saith) in the Preterperfect tence, Dixerat autem Jehovah, And the Lord had said, viz. before that Moses spake this to the people. Otherwise (saith he) How could Moses have made them such a Promise, given them such an Assurance?Neq…enim tes… & praeco salutis esse poterat nisi accept… promissione. Calv. ad loc. This he could not have done, had he not first received a promise from God. And upon that, it was that he grounded this his Direction, bidding them to stand still. And so for Iehaziel there, the Text is expresse; God had made his mind knowne unto him by immediate Revelation;2 Chron. 20. v. 14. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him, (saith the Text) i. e. the spirit of Prophesie. And this it was which warranted and required this Consistencie, this standing still in the people at those times, which at other times is neither commendable nor allowable. At other times, where wee have no such immediate Direction, the Rule is, up and be doing; wait upon God in the use of meanes, serving his Providence by making use of such meanes, such instruments as God is pleased to afford, which unlesse wee doe, wee cannot properly be said to trust God, but to tempt him.
So then Moses his aime herein, bidding the people to stand still, and not to fight, is not either to informe them what they might not doe, or what others in a like condition ought not to doe, but what they at that time should not need to doe; they should not need to fight. So Calvin (as I told you) here interprets it; Verbo standi vult quietos manere, in bidding them stand, (saith he) He would have them to rest themselves quiet. As if he had said (saith he) There shall be no need for any of you to move a finger in this service: God himselfe will undertake and effect it, He will fight for you, Vers. 15.(as it followeth in the next verse) working your salvation and deliverance in an immediate way, without any aide or assistance of yours.
Obser. God can, and sometime doth worke immediate salvations for his people. He can doe it.This God can doe, and this sometimes he doth, worke immediate salvation and deliverance for his people. He can doe it. God who tyeth us to the use of means, hath left himselfe free. Being Lord of the creature, he can worke with it, or without it. Such is the absolutenesse of his power, that he standeth not in need of instruments to worke by. An evidence hereof we see in the first of his workes, his worke of Creation, which was the immediate efflux of a Divine Power, the issuing out of a foreign, a power or vertue from God, (like that which issued out from our Saviour in the dayes of his flesh,Luk▪ 8.46. whereby he wrought those miraculous Cures) causing things to exist which before were not. In this worke God had none to co-operate with him, no means, no instrumēts to work by. What he did, he did it alone; He alone spreadeth out the heavens, (saith Iob) Job 9. Job 9.8.I am the Lord that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by my selfe, Isa. 44. Isa. 44.24.OnelyOnly he spake, and it was done; what he did in the Creation of the world, the like he can doe in the Government of it; Create Providences, Command deliverances, that is the Psalmists expression, Psal. 44. Psal. 44.4.Thou art my King, O God, command deliverance, (command salvations) for Iacob. This God can doe, procure full salvation, absolute deliverance for his Church and people, and that onelyonly by his word.
Q. Why then doth he make use of instruments and secondary causes?Q. Why then doth he make use of meanes and instruments?
A. This he doth, not out of any need he hath of them. foreign, It is Pauls speech to the Athenians concerning the true God;A. Not because hee needeth them, but Act. 17.25. He is not worshipped with mens hands, as though he needed any thing, he needeth neither us, nor our services, being in himselfe foreign, selfe-sufficient. That hee doth make use of meanes and instruments, in conveying mercy to his Church and people, he doth it.
First, Out of the libertie of his owne will. I. This he doth out of the libertie of his owne will.God we know is Agens liberrimus, the most free Agent, working all things (as the Apostle tells us) foreign,Ephesi… ….1. according to the counsell of his owne will: Not being tyed to any const…nt tenour or manner of working, as naturall Agents are, which ever worke one and the same way. True it is, God hath set down an order for the creatures to observe, and worke according to,Rom. 2.14. which wee call Nature. And this is a law to them, (as Paul saith of the Gentiles, They are a law to themselves, viz. in regard of the law of Nature written in their hearts, the Rules and Dictates whereof they follow) but not so to God the Law-giver; who being above his Law, (so is every absolute Law-giver) may dispence with it working above Nature, or against Nature, as it pleaseth him, having herein no Rule but his owne Will.
2. For the good of the Universe.Secondly, This he doth for the good and benefit of the Vniverse of the whole. Making use of meanes and instruments in conveighing of mercy, that so therby he might (as it were) engage the creatures one to another, by making them beholding one to another: The Heavens shall heare the Earth, and the Earth shall h…are the Corne, and Wine, and Oyle, and they shall heare Iezreel, Hos. 2. Hos. 2.21.22.One creature beholding to another, as members in the naturall body, all for the good of the whole.
3. To put honour upon instruments.Thirdly, Againe (thirdly) this hee doth sometimes that he may put some speciall honour upon some instruments. Thus hee maketh use of Moses in this great expedition, in bringing his people out of Egypt, and dividing the Red Sea, not that he had any need of Moses, but to the end, that he might put a speciall honour upon him.
Fourthly, Againe (in the last place,4. For our example. to name no more) this he doth for examples to us, to teach us what we are to doe, viz. to make use of such meanes and instruments as his Providence shall reach forth unto us. For these Reasons (amongst other) God is pleased for the most part to make use of meanes and instruments in bringing his purposes to passe, which yet (if he pleased) he could effect in a more immediate way, onelyonly by his word. This he can doe.
And this sometimes he doth, command immediate salvations and deliverances for his people, doing the worke himselfe alone. Thus did the eternall Sonne of God effect that great worke, that great deliverance for his Elect, their deliverance from Hell and Death;Heb. 1.3. this he did alone. He by himselfe purged our sinnes. And thus God sometimes worketh temporall salvations and deliverances for his people by himselfe alone, shutting out the creature; Even as Peter when he went about the raysing up of Dorcas to life againe,Act. 9.40. he put out all that were in the chamber with him, (as the Prophet Elisha had done before him in raysing up the widdowes sonne.) Thus God sometimes,2 King. 4.33. in working a Resurrection (as it were) for his Church and people, in working some great worke, some eminent deliverance for them, he shuts the creature out of doores, doing the worke himselfe alone, without their helpe, or the helpe of any instruments. Thus did hee worke this deliverance here for his people Israel at the Red Sea, not making any use of them, otherwise then as spectators, as lookers on; Stand still, and see (saith Moses) See what God will doe for you, without you.
God doth great things for his people without them.Great are the things which God doth for his people without them▪ He Made them without them, he Redeemed them without them. In both which they were meere Patients, not contributing anything, either to their owne Creation or Redemption; no more doe they to the first act of their Conversion, wherein they are meere patients, onelyonly suffering God to work upon them; themselves in the meane time by their naturall power working nothing, unlesse it be to hinder the worke of Grace what they can. Such they are in the first act of Conversion. True indeed, afterwards being wrought upon, they worke. Being quickned and renewed by Grace, now they co-operate and worke together with it. Being quickned by prevenient grace, they now co-operate with subsequent grace; but in the first act they were meere Patients. A truth (methinkes) not unfitly illustrated and shadowed out by the manner of Gods dealing with his people Israel here in bringing them to Canaan. Being once passed through the Red Sea, then they march and fight, and make their way by the Sword through the midst of their Enemies; but before that, they stand still; being in the first worke which God here wrought for them, meere Patients. Thus the Lords people, being once translated from death to life, being once regenerated and renewed, then they move and worke, fighting against sinne, they make their way towards the Heavenly Canaan, foreign, working out their owne salvation: Phil. 2.1….But before that, when the Grace of God first meeteth with them, it findeth them standing still, like the Labourers (or rather Loiterers) in the Gospel, that stood still, Mat. 20.3.stood idle in the market-place, foreign, doing nothing; nay, that which is more, having neither will nor power to doe anything for themselves, but meerely in a passive capacitie, onelyonly suffering God to worke for them, in them, and upon them. These workes God worketh for his people without them.
And (to returne to the case in the Text) after the same manner sometimes he worketh temporall deliverances for them, making little or no use of them, or their indeavours in the effecting of them.
Which he doth (if you will know the Reason of it) chiefly,Reas. That he might impropriate all the glory. that by this meanes he might impropriate all the glory to himselfe. It is the Reason which the Apostle giveth, why God maketh choice of weake and despecable meanes to effect and bring to passe great matters by;1 Cor. 1.17, 28, 29. the Foolish things of the world to confound the wise; The weake things of the world to confound the mightie; Base and despicable things, yea, things which were not, to bring to nought things that are: This hee doth (saith the Apostle) to the end, That no flesh should glory in his presence. Should God alwayes take the creature along with him, and make it a sharer or partner in the worke, happily it would be ready to steppe in, and pretend to a share in the Honour; but being sometimes shut out from the one, it is thereby excluded from the other; that,vers. last. according (as it is written) He that glorieth, may glory in the Lord. This it was that God had an eye to here in the Text. His designe was to get himselfe Honour; Honour upon Pharoah and his Hoast in their destruction, So you have it in the fourth verse of the chapt. repeated againe vers. 17.Vers. 4. Vers. 17. I will be honoured upon Pharoah, and upon on all his Hoast, &c. Honour upon his people in their salvation and deliverance. And to this end, he here taketh the worke into his owne hand, bidding the people stand still, and let him alone; that so, all the honour of that dayes service might redound wholly unto himselfe, that he might Triumph Gloriously, as you have it in the first verse of the following chapt. Thus you see the truth of the point,Chap. 15.1. and with all some Reason for it. God can worke salvation for his people without them, which sometime he doth, and that for the impropriating of all the glory.
Applic.That which remaines is the Application, which I shall direct in the first place (following the streame of the Text) by way of incouragement.
Use 1. Incouragement in straitsCan God worke immediate salvations for his people, saving and delivering them by his owne hand, without their helpe, or the helpe of whatever instruments? Let this meditation serve to beare up the hearts and spirits of the Lords people in the midst of all their straits and exigents, whether private or publique, when dangers and difficulties surround and incompasse them, and meanes and instruments, (such as they looked at) seeme to faile them, so as in the eye of reason their case seemeth for lorne and desperate, yet even now let them stand still, not casting away their hope and confidence, knowing that God is not tyed to meanes or instruments. He can worke by them, and he can worke without them. And then is his time to worke, when meanes and instruments faile: Vbi humanum deficit, ibi incipit divinum auxilium; Where humane helpe ends, there divine begins; where the creature leaves, there the Creator takes: When my father and my mother forsake me,Psal. 27.10. then the Lord will take me up, (saith the Psalmist.) Though they cast me out yet the Lord will gather me: The Lord gathereth the out-casts of Israel, Psal. 147. Psal. 147.2.Expulsos, Ejectos, those that are cast and driven out as Exiles, from house and home; Incertâ sede vagantes, Heb. 11.3….wandring as those Primitive Saints are said to doe, not having any certaine habitation, but exposed to the wide world (as we say) such the Lord gathereth. Stepping into his people in the midst of their greatest straits and extremities; then shewing himselfe to them most clearly, most gloriously, perfecting his Power, his Goodnesse, in their weaknesse, their wants.
Whatever our condition then be, though wee be stripped never so naked of all humane helpes and creature-assistances, yet despaire not. If God have a purpose to save us, to deliver us, his counsell shall stand, his purpose shall take place.Isa. 46. My counsell shall stand (saith the Lord) and I will doe all my pleasure. vers. 10. vers. 11.I have spoken it, I will also bring it to passe, I have purposed it, I will also doe it. Take wee this for an universall Truth, and build upon it; whatever God hath purposed to doe, whether against his Enemies or for his people, it matters not; what seeming improbabilities or impossibities may crosse the way of his Providence, it shall be performed. It is that which the Prophet Ieremy saith concerning Babylon, Jer. 51. Jer. 51.2….Every purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon. What he there speakes of the literall, it may as truely be said of Mysticall Babylon. Babylon shall fall.One purpose of the Lord shall be performed against Babylon. Now wee know what the Lord hath purposed concerning it; Babylon, it is fallen, …evel. 18.2.it is fallen: It shall certainly fall, it shall speedily fall, both imported in that phrase and manner of speech. And this purpose it shall be performed. It matters not what Babylon it selfe be, though seemingly never so impregnable, (Such the Eastern Babylon was, and such the Western Babylon is) yet this shall not frustrate or make void the purpose of God. Babylon the Great is fallen: Though Great for Power, Great for Iurisdiction, Great for Wealth, Great for Honour and Reputation, Great for Friends and Allies, yet Babylon the Great is fallen.
Ierusalem shal be established.On the other hand, we know what God hath purposed concerning his Church; Ierusalem shall be established, and made a praise in the earth, Isa. 62. Isa. 62.7.The Mountaine of the Lords house shall be established in the top of the Mountains, and shall be exalted above the Hills, Isa. 2. Isa. 2.….Above the Hills, I, above those seaven Hills, whereon the woman in the Revelation is said to sit, Revel. 17.9.whereon the Citie of Rome is built; The Church shall be elevated and lifted up above▪ all Romish Power and Iurisdiction. This is Gods purpose concerning Babylon, and concerning Sion; the one shall Fall, the other shall Rise;God can Create instrumēts. & this shall come to passe. It matters not, though at the present we see no meanes, no likely instruments to effect this great worke: God can if he please Create both, rayse up both in an instant. A truth excellently represented and set forth unto Zachary in a vision, the vision of the foure Hornes, and foure Carpenters, Zach. 1. Zach. 1.18, 19, 20, 21.I lift up mine eyes, (saith the Prophet) and saw, and behold foure Hornes, vers. 18. And the Lord shewed me foure Carpenters, vers. 20. Now, what were those foure Hornes? Why the Enemies of the Church, as the 19 verse expounds it; which are called Hornes for their Power, and said to be foure in reference to the foure parts of the World, East, West, North, and South, from all which they come, (as the Geneva Glosse explaines it.) And what are the Carpenters? Why, instruments raysed up by God to break & batter those Horns, to oppose, to overthrow that adverse power, (so the last verse explaines it) and they againe are said to be foure, to import an equalitie of power and strength. Thus when God hath a worke to doe, be it to …eat downe Babylon, Where God hath a worke to doe, he can want no Carpenters. Josh. 6.20.or build up Ierusalem, he can rayse up Carpenters, instruments that shall be sufficient for the worke. It may be, making use of meane instruments to effect great matters by; Trumpets of Rams Hornes to lay the walls Iericho flat: Nay more, rather then faile, he both can, and will worke without instruments. Hee hath done it, he can doe it▪ and rather then his purpose should not stand, he will doe it: Though instruments faile,He can doe his worke without them. yet the Promise shall not faile: Though the Carpenters should not strike a stroake, yet God hath wayes to take off the Hornes of his Enemies: Though the Church should be destitute of all humane protection, yet God hath wayes to deliver it, to secure it. Expresse is that of the Prophet Esay, Isa. 4. Isa. 4 5.6.The Lord will create upon every dwelling place of Mount Sion, and upon her Assemblies a cloud and smoake by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night; alluding (as you know) to the Pillar of the Cloud, and of the Fire which went before the Israelites in the wildernesse, pledges and tokens of Gods gracious protection and direction. These (saith the Prophet) the Lord will Create. Now to Create, you know what it is, viz. to bring something out of nothing, to worke (as I said) without meanes, without instruments. And thus, rather then faile, God will worke salvation and deliverance for his Church, he will Create it, bring it out of nothing, effect it without any such meanes or instruments as it may be our eyes are fixed upon.
Which let it serve; as for the bearing up the hearts of the Lords people in the midst of these drooping and doubtfull times;Use 2. Counsell, to take off our eyes from looking too much at instrum… ̄ts. So (in the second place) for the taking off their eyes from looking too much at meanes, too much at instruments; a thing which generally we are very act to doe. And there is it that our pulses beat so unequally, that there is so much unevennesse in our spirits; they are up and downe, like wells digged upon the Sea shore neere the highwater marke, which rise and fall according as the tide ebbs and flowes. Even thus is it generally with our spirits, they Rise and Fall with the Tide, and current of meanes and instruments. When the Tide commeth in, meanes and instruments appeare to us, so as wee apprehend things outwardly in a hopefull condition, then our spirits are up; but if there be a slake of them, presently they are downe againe. Thus it should not be, and thus it would not be, did we not live more by Sense then by Faith. Faith will tell us, that Gods decrees and purposes, they doe not Stand or Fall to secondary causes. That which God hath purposed to doe, he can doe it, he will doe it; he will carry through his owne worke.
God will carry through his owne worke in this Kingdom.Bring wee it home to the particular case of the Kingdome, at the present (as sad a case as ever this Kingdome saw.) If God have a gracious purpose towards it, to save and deliver his people, to build, and to plant, and to purge his Church, to establish his Gospell, to settle Truth and Peace amongst us, it is not the deficiency of whatever instruments that shall hinder the worke. It is that which Moses here telleth the Israelites, that God having a purpose to get himselfe honour in their deliverance and his Enemies destruction; this he would doe, though none of them should lift up a hand to the worke. Let them stand still, yet shall not that hinder Gods designe. Quamtumvis torpeant velut examines, (it is Calvins expression upon the Text) Though they should be so st…pified and benummed with their faithlesse feare, as that they should not be able to move a hand, to stir a foot; yet, In uno Deo satis praesidii, God alone was able to doe the worke for them, and he would doe it without them. Apply it to our owne present condition. Suppose it those instruments which hitherto have shewne themselves most active for the good of the Church and State amongst us, that some of them, nay all of them should fall off, (as some of them have done) or be taken off, (as others of them have beene) yet shall not this hinder Gods designe: Mans designe it may, but Gods it shall not. Whatever mercy God hath intended towards his people in this Nation, he will effect it, though there should be never so great a deficiency in meanes and instruments. Though both we and they should stand still, yet God will carry on, and carry through his owne worke.
A truth, an undoubted one,No ground of securitie. but let it not be misconstrued, as if my aime in delivering it were to make any of us secure, either carelesse or fearelesse, or to take off the edge of whatever warrantable indeavours for the furthering of what we desire, and hope God is about to doe for us. No, I have received no such promise from God, as Moses here had, to warrant me in giving this advice to you that he doth here to them, to bid you stand still. This direction of his, (as I told you) it was in this particular an extraordinary, not to be drawne into President by others in a like condition. In an ordinary way, that of the Father holds true; He that made us, without us, will not save us, without us. He spake it (I know) of Eternall, but it is no lesse true of Temporall salvation. Ordinarily God maketh use of our indeavours in the obtaining of those mercies which himselfe intendeth to bestow upon us. And therefore, farre bee it from me to perswade, much more to command any in this sense, in these busie and active times to stand still. Some directions I acknowledge (as occasion hath beene offered) I have tendred unto you for the regulating and ordering of …our motions, that they might be with safetie and beautie, as the motions of a well-ordered Army are: But never did this word of Command yet fall from my mouth in this sense to bid you stand still; neither was it ever my purpose to take you off from whatever warrantable indeavours, that might be subservient to the Providence of God in obtaining what we desire and hope for. Herein I shall rather lift up my voice like a Trumpet, incouraging you to the worke.
Christians called to their Prayers.Calling you first to your Prayers. These are the most proper and most tryed weapons of the Church; Preces & lachrymae, Prayers and Teares. You that have done any thing this way, stand not you still. Goe on, and advance, making your approaches neerer to the Throne of Grace, which is at this day strongly besieged by an Army of Suppliants. Isa. 62.6.You that are the Lords Remembrancers, give him no rest: You that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, doe not you stand still: do not you hold your peace. For Zions sake I will not hold my peace, and for Ierusalems sake I will not rest, Ibid. v. 1.untill the righteousnesse thereof goe forth as brightnesse, and the salvation thereof as a burning Lampe. In this way I shall exhort and stirre up all the Lords people (my selfe amongst the rest) not onelyonly to continue, but to double their indeavours.
Neither shall I confine you to your Prayers onelyonly.But not confined to them. Josh. 7▪ 6. I remember what the Lord said to Ioshuah, when hee and the Elders of Israel were fallen upon their faces to the earth before the Arke, bewailing that unexpected Repulse which some of their forces had received at Aye, where their men were beaten off with the losse of some of them, to the discouragement of the whole Army;Vers. 10. The Lord finding Ioshuah in this posture, he saith unto him, vers. 10. Get thee up, wherefore lyest thou here upon thy face? What, might not Ioshuah doe what he did? Might he not pray and humble himselfe before God, in such a case as that? Yes, he might doe it, he ought to doe it, there being no readier way to stay or prevent judgment then this. But this was not enough, there was something else to be done; Alio remedio opus erat, (saith Calvin upon it) there was another Salve to be applyed to that Soare. And what was that? Why, there was an Achan in the Campe,Vers. 12. who by his medling with that execrable thing contrary to the expresse command of God, had made the people execrable, laying the whole Congregation under a Curse. And this it was that must be taken away; otherwise Ioshuahs prayers, though able to arrest and stay the Sunne in the Firmament of Heaven, yet could they not be able to stay the course of Gods judgements. Beloved, thus standeth the case with us at this day: The judgements of God being gone out, and having broken forth upon us in a most terrible manner, Prayers and Humiliations are requisite and necessary (never more) but not sufficient. Alio remedio opus est, There is something else to be done, viz. the taking away of the Execrable thing from amongst us,Take away the Execrable thing. that accursed thing which hath provoked the eyes of our God against us. Unlesse this be taken away, all our Prayers and Humiliations, though never so frequent, never so earnest, yet will they not be available to the stopping of the course of judgement. And therefore let me speake unto all the Lords people, as the Lord there to Ioshuah, Get you up, wherefore lye you upon your faces? Not but that you may doe this, and ought to doe it; but this is not enough, there is more to be done then this. There is an Achan, many Achans amongst us; Execrable Persons (say some) I excuse not them; Execrable things (say I) Accursed Sinnes, Accursed Abominations, which, whatever in the Toleration or Connivance, sure I am, in the practice they are no lesse then Nationall, having over-spread all places, and all sorts of persons; Surely these are the Achans, the chiefest Troublers of this our Israel. Now, untill these be taken away, taken off from the head of the Nation, by a Generall, a Nationall Reformation, Indeavouring a Nationall Reformation.wee cannot expect that the course of judgement should be stayed. In the feare of God, then let all of us up and be doing, doing what we may for the furtherance of this great worke; Every one beginning at home, reforming our owne Hearts, Lives, Families: Then doe what we may for the Reforming of others. OnelyOnly every one in our places, Private persons in their places, and Publique persons in their places; all moving in their owne spheares, none standing still, but all shewing themselves Active for God, and active for the good of Church and State; And that not onelyonly by indeavouring the removall of obstacles out of the way of mercy (which is a great worke) but also by improving all opportunities, making use of all lawfull and warrantable wayes and meanes for the promoting and furthering of whatever gracious purposes and intentions our God may yet have towards us.Exod. 14.15.
This let us doe. As for others, if any have no Hearts, no wills to the worke, (and, O that there were not too many such every where! David tells us of some that Hated to be Reformed. Psal. 50.17.Would to God there were none of them amongst us, who are so farre from furthering the worke of Reformation, as that they would rather doe what they can to hinder it. Others, though happily they could be content with it, and it may be wish it, yet they would by no meanes be seene to have any hand in it; they have no hearts to appeare for God in any Cause of his.) Now, as for such, I shall not stick to say unto them, as Moses here to these faint-hearted or false-hearted Israelites, (for surely such there were some amongst them) stand you still; taking notice, that God hath no need of you, nor of your indeavours to carry through his owne worke; What he hath purposed, and determined to doe, hee can doe it, and he will doe it without you. His worke shall goe on, though you stand still.
And thus I have at length (as I conceive) given you the full sense and meaning of this comprehensive word here in the Text, and of the counsell couched in it,Gen. 2.10. and intended by it; Which, like that River of Eden, wee have seene branching it selfe into foure streames, and every one of them affording unto us somewhat, both Seasonable and Profitable. The former I am sure of, the latter I shall pray for.
FINIS.