Ruler of thy People Pray for them I though they should be persecutors That is the Rule Pray for them that persecute you This doe we and doe we it in the first place So the Apostle there presseth it {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} First of all Oh that murmurers would but take out of this lesson to pray for Superiours first of all pray for them before they let flye at them or murmur against them certainly this would take off the Edge of their murmuring The more they prayed for them the lesse they would murmur against them Sure I am They which murmur most are such as pray least To prevent the one practise the other Pray for â—â—r Superiours And that as the Apostle there directs First for the King whom we acknowledge by a divine and speciall Providence set over us as a Supreme Governour in these his Dominions Be we earnest with God for him that he may be made a Moses to us having Moses his spirit put upon him and if it might be doubled upon him as Elias his spirit was upon Elisha a wise and a large spirit proportionable to the charge committed unto him that he may be wise as an Angell of God as the woman of Tekoah said to King David able to discerne betwixt good and evill And with Moses his head beg we for him also Moses heart a heart faithfull to his God that like Moses he may be as a faithfull servant faithfull in all the house of his God A heart tender and affectionate towards his people Carrying them in his bosome lovingly tenderly carefully As a Nurse beareth her sucking child as the Lord requireth Moses to doe to his Israel So making him in truth what he is by office Patrem Patriae a Father a Nursing Father to his People Gods People Every wayes a Moses a Saviour a deliverer to the Israel of God Praying for him Pray we also for those which are in Authoritie over us under him And here in speciall for the Representative Body the great Synedrion our English Sanhedrim the supreme Court and Councell of this Kingdome now assembled together in the name of God to be unto their Prince as those seventie Elders were unto Moses a Councell of Assistance to beare the Burden of the People together with him For them beg we also that God would do for them what he there promiseth Moses to doe to his Counsellours and Assistants viz. take off the spirit which was upon Moses and put it upon them even a spirit suitable and proportionable to the Burden layed upon them Making them a Wise and faithfull Councell to their Prince and Wise and faithfull guides unto his people leading them on in such wayes as God himselfe hath layed out for them so as in due time they may conduct them through this Red-Sea this Sea of blood and this wildernesse of Confusion whereinto at the present we are cast unto a Canaan a Land of rest and peace where Righteousnesse and Peace may dwell together And remembring them forget we not the Sons of Aaron who are now called together to consult about the businesse of the Tabernacle For them also beg wee a spirit proportionable to the worke which they have in hand Even the same spirit that the Lord put upon Bezaleel and Aholiab when he called them to the worke of the Tabernacle The Spirit of wisedome and understanding and knowledge to know how to worke all manner of worke for the service of the Sanctuary according to all that the Lord hath commanded Such a Spirit beg we for them that so all things in this Tabernacle-Temple-worke may be done and performed according to the Patterne in the Mount according to the mind and will of God himselfe Begging direction and assistance for them withall beg we a blessing upon their endeavours that the Rod of Aaron may Bud and Blossome and bring forth fruit No such way to quiet the murmurings of the people as this It was the Lords owne way which he bad Moses take and make use of for this very purpose Numb. 17. The people being subject to murmuring upon all occasions and in particular about the Priesthood as you have heard for a Cure of that Disease the Lord directs Moses to take twelve Rods according to the number of the Tribes for every Tribe one laying them up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony And it shall come to passe saith the Lord That the mans Rod whom I shall choose shall blossome and I will make to cease the murmurings of the children of Israel c. This was the meanes propounded What the successe was the sequell of the Chapter will shew It came to passe that Moses went into the Tabernacle and behold Arons Rod which was for the house of Levi was budded and brought forth blossomes and yleeded Almonds whereupon the Lord ordereth Moses to take that Rod and lay it up in the Tabernacle before the Testimony there to be kept for a Token against the Rebells and saith the Lord Thou shall quite take away their murmurings I shall not need to tell you that the chiefe ground of our murmuring at this day is if not the same yet not unlike to theirs about the Priesthood O that the wonder-working God would be pleased to worke the like wonder in our dayes that we might see the Rod of Aaron which at the present through the Calamitie of the times seemes to lye secure and dead to Bud and Blossome and Bring forth Almonds yeelding us not onely Hopes but Fruits Hopes of a quiet and comfortable condition to the Church with the sweet and blessed fruits of a Glorious administration in it No doubt but this would have a strong influence upon the present and future distempers of unquiet spirits either to cure and stay their murmurings or else to be a witnesse against them to all succeeding ages This we know our God is able to doe and this we hope he will yet doe In the meanetime let us and all the Lords people Stand still waiting and quietly waiting upon our God for his salvation It is good for us so to do so faith the Church Lam. 3 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord I have done with the first Branch of this Direction which I confesse hath taken more of my thoughts and your patience then at the first in my intentions I allotted it Stand still not Wavering Passe we now to the second Stand still not Wavering This men naturally are very apt to doe being all by nature ever since the first man left his standing become very unstable but some more then others It is that which the Patriarch Iacob saith to and of his sonne Ruben Gen. 49. Vnstable as water Water it is an unstable Element seldome standing still specially if there be any wind stirring then we
Temples of Christ Such unstable unsetled wavering spirits they doe not become those who have once given up their name unto God and have his name called upon them It is for them to Stand still to have stable heads and hearts Herein they shall be made like unto God himselfe who is immutable unchangeable I am the Lord I change not Mal. 3. Such he is in his nature And such he is in his promises which may serve as a Reason why Christians should not waver so the Apostle maketh use of it Heb. 10.23 Let us hold fast the profession of the faith without wavering why For he is faithfull that promised Gods promises they are the groâ—nd upon which a Christian stands Now if the ground were false and shaking they which stand upon it could not be blamed for shaking with it But that being firme no Reason why they should waver but Stand still which unlesse Christians do they cannot See the salvation of the Lord Which may serve as a second Reason So much we may collect from the Text it selfe Stand still and see c. A man that wavers up and downe can never take sure aime He that would See the salvation of the Lord must stand steady Stand still Vse And such a holy stabilitie let all of us in the feare of God be excited to seeke after and labour for that whatever changes come downe upon the world yet wee may in our measure be like unto God himselfe immutable unchangeable An Exhortation I thinke never more seasonable then at this day I shall not need to tell you what unsetled and unsteady times we are fallen into I shall onely make this use of it The more unsetlâ—d the times are the more setled spirits we had need to labour for Unsetled spirits and unsetled times will not doe well together A swimmering Brain and a seeling reeling-ship will make but foule weather of it If ever now labour wee for stable hearts steady and composed spirits that whatever Hericanâ—'s whatever Stormes and Tempests come downe upon the world upon the Kingdome upon the Church upon the State upon the places where wee live upon our selves yet we may ride it out and that in some measure steadily not being inordinately moved though moved but like a good ship at Anchor though moving yet wee may Stand still I know now what your thoughts are How shall this stabilitie be attained How shall the heart be made so steady as that it may Stand still As that a Christian may come to ride steady in a stresse and particularly in such a stresse as that which is now come downe upon this Church and Kingdome A great and a usefull Question In the resolution whereof give me leave to take hold of that Metaphor which the Question as I have propounded it puts into my hand A metaphor which many of you most of you are familiarly acquainted with and therefore I the rather make choice of it You can tell me by what meanes a ship may be made to ride steady And let me tell you that by the very like meanes the heart may be brought to be steady so steady as that it shall not be inordinately moved in the greatest stresse of Temptation that can come downe upon it To make a ship ride steady there are as I take it these foure things principally requisite She must be well-built downe-ballasted low-masted sure-anchored If any of these be wanting she will never ride steady bring we home every of them and make use of them by way of Allusion to our present purpose First The first requisite to make a ship steady is she must be well-built which consisteth in two things She must be built strongly and artificially strongly well-timbred not weake which if she be she will give way in a stresse and so prove leakie Artificially well moulded not tender-sided which if she be shee will prove Waltrie and so make soule weather of every ordinary gale And thus must the soule be built that it may stand still ride steadie in a stresse It must bee First Well-simbered well laid in with all requisite varietie of true sound substantiall sanctifying Graces which are to the soule as Beames and Timbers and Ribs to the Ship without these it is not an outward formall profession that will serve the Turne It is not the outward planke or sheading of the ship that will make her keep up tithe in a stresse If she be not well strengthned within she will as I say and you know give way and prove leakie It is not an outward profession how glorious soever nor yet any common Graces that will beare up and beare out the soule in the houre of Temptation Unlesse there be aliquid întus unlesse it be well laid in and strengthned inwardly in the inner Man as the Apostle calleth it with sound and substantiall sanctifying Graces it will give way See an instance of it in Hymaeneus and Alexander sometimes Pauls followers and companions they made an outward profession of the faith and no question for the time a glorious one but having nothing but an outward profession not being well laidin {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} They made shipwracke of what they seemed to have A truth which our Saviour illustrates as you know by the Parable of the stony ground which receiving the good seed soone puts it sorth againe in a faire promising blade but no sooner doth the Sun arise and lie hot upon it but presently not having Earth and Root to beare it out it withereth commeth to nothing I shall not need to make any interpretation of the Parable our Saviour hath done it to my hand in the 20 ver. of the same Chapter Hee that received the seed into the stonie places the same is hee that heareth the word and anon with Ioy receiveth it making in outward glorious profession but having not root in himselfe the root of the matter being not found in him as Job speakes hee indureth but for a while for when tribulation or persecution ariseth because of the word by and by hee is offended I might here minde you of that other Parable of the house built upon the Sand tending to the same purpose shewing that the soule which is not strongly built built upon a sure foundation as Saint Luke explaines it it will never indure the storme of temptation but it will fetch way and totter and shake and in the end fall downe to the ground Would wee then stand still would we be steady in times of triall not being inordinately moved much lesse over-turned see that our soules bee well and strongly built First built upon a sure foundation and that is Iesus Christ Other foundation saith the Apostle can no man lay then that which is laid which is Iesus Christ He must be to our soules as the foundation to the house or to returne
flying to him Fourthly In the fourth and last place holding their Tongues and Hearts and Feet still he bids them also hold their Hands still not Murmuring not Wavering not Flying he tels them they should not need to fight neither So Master Calvin here construeth the phrase Verbo standi vult quietos manere Bidding them stand still saith he he wils them to rest themselves quiet as if he had said there shall be no need for any of you to stirre a hand to move a fingar in this service stand you still God will doe the worke for you and without you And this exposition the verse following seemeth to countenance where Moses tels them The Lord shall fight for you and you shall hold your Peace ye shall be silent ceasing as from speaking so from doing any thing in this businesse so that phrase is sometimes used being applied to actions as well as words Keep not â—ilence O God saith the Psalmist Hold not thy Peace and be not still Psal. 83. I haue a long time holdeâ— my Peace saith the Lord I haue been still and refrained my selfe Is. 42. refrained my selfe viz. from taking vengeance upon mine Enemies which when God doth forbearing to punish them then hee is said to hold his peace and sit still In a like sense not improperly may Moses be conceived there to speake unto the people yee shall hold your peace i.e. yee shall not strike a blow nor draw a sword nor lift up a hand let God alone with the worke stand yee still Put these foure together and you have as I conceive the full latitude of the word as here it is used Stand yee still saith Moses to the people not Murmuring not Wavering not Flying not Fighting Never a one of these but will afford us somewhat for our Instruction I shall touch upon them severally by way of Illustration Application Stand still not Murmuring First Stand still not Murmuring whether against God or me This corrupt nature is very prone and readie to doe to murmur against God and Superiours those whom God hath set over us and made his Ministers for our good To make good this charge we shall need no other evidence or instance but this of the Israelites whom if we follow in their march through the wildernesse wee shall take them murmuring no lesse then eight severall times besides that in the Text against God and his servant Moses Looking upon them stand not to wonder at their wawardnesse and forwardnesse but rather reflect upon our selves in this Glasse beholding our owne faces taking notice how prone our corrupt nature is to fall into this distemper upon all occasions This we are prone and ready to doe but this we may not doe Sand still saith Moses unto them willing them not to give way to any discontented Passions that might cause them to murmur A Lesson for all the Lords people the Israel of God teaching them what to doe or rather what not to doe in all their straits and difficulties viz. Stand still not Murmuring It is Pauls advice and charge to his Corinthians 1 Cor. 10. Neither murmur yee as some of them also murmured some of the Israelites in the wildernesse And how did they murmur Why upon all occasions they were discontented and displeased with Gods administrations and dealings with them and withall ready to vent their discontents expressing them both in words and deeds As for instance In case 1. They wanted something which they would haue 2. Liked not what they had 3. Met with some dangers difficulties discouragements 4. Saw others honoured and preferred before themselves In all and every of these cases we shall find their spirits like the Sea in this Winter season presently stirred and their Tongues ready to pumpe out the secret discontents of their hearts in quarrelling with and murmuring against God and his servant Moses Take a briefe view of particulars First In case they wanted somewhat that they would haue Thus we find them thrice murmuring for water viz. once in the wildernesse of Shur Exod. 15. A second time at Rephidim afterwards called Massa and Meriba from their strivings Exod. 17. A third time in the Desert of sinne Numb. 20. Twice for Food viz. once for Bread Exod. 16. once for Flâ—sh Numb. 11. and every time ready to fall foule upon Moses Secondly In case they liked not what they had Thus being cloyed with their Mannah they nauseate and loath it and loathing it fall to murmur against God and his servant Moses for not making them better provision They speake against God and against Moses saying Wherefore have yee brought us out of Aegypt to dye in the wildernesse Here is neither Bread nor water and our soule loatâ—eth this Mannah this Light-Bread Numb. 21. 3. In case they met with any danger thus in the Text any difficulties or discouragement Thus at the returne of their Spies making a discouraging report to them of the good Land which they had taken a view of representing to them a great deale of difficultie in the conquest of it hereupon they fall soule upon Moses and Aaron and upon Caleb and Ioshuah ready to Cashire the one and to stone the other and so to create a new Generall that might conduct them back againe into Aegypt of all which you may read Numb. 14. Fourthly Seeing others honoured and preferred before themselves This was the ground of that grand Rebellion or Sedition raysed by Korah and his Confederates those two hundred and fiftie Captaines or Princes of the Assembly as they are called i.e. Chiefe Senators principall States-men Famous in the Congregation men of renowne of which you may read Numb. 16. These combine and make head against Moses Aaron whom they maligned and envied onely for their promotions and preferments that they should be in any thing preferred before themselves Hereupon they charge them to be too Pragmaticall too busie to usurpe and arrogate to themselves more then was their due Yee take too much upon you seeing all the Congregation is holy v. 3. And afterwards when God had made the chiefe Actors in that Conspiracy exemplary by causing the Earth to take vengeance upon some and the Fire to doe execution upon others of them the next day the people begin to take up the quarrell afresh making a fresh charge upon Moses and Aaron calling them to account for the disaster of the day past charging all that Blood upon their heads On the morrow all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron saying Ye haue killed the People of the Lord v. 41. Thus did some of them murmur But take wee heed that none of us thus murmur This is Pauls counsell to his Corinthians and this is mine to you at the present and I beseech you in the feare of God to hearken to it Thus let us not murmur A piece of counsell I think
then have our soules stayed as at all times so in these tempestuous and troublesome times which are come downe upon us wherein almost every day presents us with new feares new dangers make we use of this Anchor Onely taking heed that it be an Anchor like that which the Apostle there describes {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} a sure and steadfast Anchor that will not deceive us Q. But how shall we be sure that our Faith is such and will prove such A. Not to goe from the Metaphor in hand To make an Anchor sure and firme there are two things requisite It must be Good Iron and well wrought And such must our Faith and Hope be if we would have it firme and sure First It must be first a true sound solid substantiall faith Faith not Fancy Such and no better are the Hopes which meere naturall men stay their soules with in times of danger whatever befalls others and threatens them yet they hope well But what is that Hope of theirs Nothing but Fancy A light imagination grounded upon some possibilities at best some probabilities They conceive a possibility of escaping the danger and happily they apprehend some probable wayes and meanes whereby they may secure themselves from it and hence spring their Hopes wherewith they beare up their Hearts and Heads Now alas these are but vaine and brittle hopes like spalt and brittle Iron that will never make good Anchor There is no trusting to them they are Perishing Hopes So Bildad in Iob saith of them Iob 8. The Hypocrites hope shall perish whose Hope shall be cut off and whose trust shall be as the Spiders Web A Spiders Web it is spunne as you know out of the Spiders owne Bowells And such are the hopes of Hypocrites and meere carnall men they are but webs spunne out of their owne Bowells nothing but a Contexture as I may say of some probabilities and possibilities which they fancy to themselves No trusting to such Hopes Spiders threads though they were twisted never so many double yet they would never make a good Cable Had we never so many possibilities and probabilities represented to us yet trust not unto them Looke we out for better Hope then this viz. a sound solid substantiall Hope or Faith A Hope spunne as I may say out of Gods owne Bowells or to hold to the Metaphor a faith digged as I may say out of the Mine of the Word No other Mine will afford Iron to make this sure Anchor of It must be Gods owne Mine the Scriptures There we shall meet with many rich veines of precious promises these are as I may say the Mettall the matter and ground-worke out of which a true faith a sound and sure hope is drawne First Which then in the second place must be well-wrought viz. by the Spirit through the Word Even as in the forging of an Anchor there is the Smith the Fire and the Hammer so here in the working of this Faith the worke-man is the Spirit which is therefore called the Spirit of Faith being the Principall efficient of it The Fire and Hammer that is the word in the ministery of it Is not my word like as a fire saith the Lord and like a Hammer Jer. 23. Such is the Word in the mouth of Gods Ministers being accompanied by the Spirit Now it is as a fire for the soâ—tning of the heart and as an Hammer for the forging and fashioning of it Would we then have our Faith and Hope firme and sure see we that they be thus wrought And for that end put we our soules into the hands of this Work-man by a constant and consâ—ionable attendance upon the Word which let us daily and frequently meditate upon working the promises upon our owne Hearts An Anchor it is not forged at one heate nor welded with one stroke It must into the fire againe and againe and have stroke after stroke and piece after piece A sure and sound faith it is not ordinarily wrought by one Act but many There must be an inculcating of the promises of God by frequent meditation and Application laying on one promise after another and working them on upon the soule Here is the first thing requisite to this sure Anchoring the Anchor it selfe must be sure Secondly The second requisite is that the Ground on which the Anchor is cast be Good good ground fit to Anchor in Now to make it so there are as you know two things requisite It must neither be Foule nor False Not Foule but Cleare free both from Rocks and Wrecks which are subject to chase the Cable in pieces Not false but firme so as the Anchor may not come home And even such a ground must a Christian choose for his Faith and hope that would ride it out and Stand still The ground of his Hope and Confidence must neither be Foule nor False First Not Foule Such is the Hope and Confidence that wicked men put in their ill-gotten goods got whether by Oppression or Fraud neither of them to be trusted in Trust not in oppression become not vaine in â—obbery saith the Psalmist This David there speaketh more specicially to his Souldiers as our Aynsworth observes upon it And indeed it is a Lesson very proper for men of that Profession If there be any of them here present this day let them carry it away with them carrying it both into the field and from the field to their owne Houses Trust not ye in Oppression in unjust Extortions or fradulent Injuries become not ye vaine in Robbery make not your selves vaine and vile in the eyes of others by violent and unwarrantable Plunderings and Spoylings and Robbings seeking thereby to inrich your selves Hereby as you wrong others now you will but deceive your selves in the end specially if you put any confidence any trust in goods so gotten both waies becomming vaine An Instruction very proper for them and not improper for others Let all of us this day carry it home with us Are we the owners or possessors of any ill-gotten goods goods gotten by Oppression or Fraud by Violence or Deceit Trust not to them nay take we heed of them they will be but as Rocks and Wrecks to chase in funder our Cables confidence so placed will never hold No more will that confidence which is placed in any indirect unlawfull and unwarrantable waies and meanes for the securing or delivering of our selves That of the Wiseman is exprest Prov. 12. A man shall not be established by wickednesse Would we ride Sure take wee heed that we cast not Anchor upon Foule ground Secondly No nor yet upon false ground Such are Riches though well-gotten and truely come by yet they are but false-ground Vncertaine Riches as the Apostle calleth them and therefore as he there presseth it not to be confided in Charge them that be Rich in this world that they
or his own safetie This question my Brethren put home upon Conscience it may happily come neere us We are all naturally neere unto our selves and oft-times too neere So it is when wee set up our selves our owne peace our owne outward tranquilitie as the first and maine thing which we looke at In the meane time making the glory of God subservient unto that Secondly Let it be enquired whether our providing for our owne safetie in this way of flight be not some diminution to the glory of God Whether wee might not glorifie God more by our standing then by our flying Here presse conscience to give senteâ—ce according to evidence and according thâ—reunto order we our selves for our flying or standing doing that which may conduce most to the glory of God Secondly And secondly that which may conduce most to the good of others specially the Publique good We are not borne neither should we live meerly for our selves all of us for others all of us for the publique As members doe for the good of the body so should Christians live for the good of the Communitie the good of the Church And this wee must have an eye unto as in our whole course so in this case of flying or standing in time of Persecution Now here sometimes it so falleth out that Christians cannot flye without both publique scandall and danger the case specially of publike Persons Magistrates Ministers Their flight oft-times indangers the Communitie as the flight of the shepheard doth the flock or as the flight of the Mariners in Pauls voyage would have done the passengers touching whom Paul telleth the Centurion and Souldiers Except these abide in the ship yee cannot be saved Now in this case they being thus engaged God biddeth them stand and therefore they may not flee Upon this ground that worthy Governour Nehemiah tooke up that Heroick Resolution Shall such a man as I flee A Magistrate in whose standing the safetie of the Communitie of the whole body of the people is bound up though others flee he may not And so Augustine in the place fore-named determines the case of Ministers Where they cannot flye without eminent danger to their flocks there God biddeth them stand A determination grounded upon that of our Saviour Ioh. 10. Where describing the good Shepheard and the Hireling he tells us the one standeth and the other fleeth The good Shepheard giveth his life for his sheepe but he that is an hireling c. He seeth the woolfe comming and leaveth the sheep and fleeth and the woolfe â—atcheth them and scattereth them The hireling fleeth c. Where the safetie and welfare of a flock is bound up in the presence of the Minister where his flight tendeth directly to their dissipation or eminently indangereth their seduction there God biddeth him stand On the other hand sometimes as private so publique persons may withdraw themselves without any detriment to the Church Nay their fleeing may be an advantage to it Thereby they may have the opportunitie off doing moregood to the Church then otherwise they could doe In this case God bids them flee and they have their Master going before them in it Our blessed Saviour as I told you being in danger by his Adversaries he often withdrew himselfe this he did for the greater advantage and benefit of his Church that he might have opportunitie for the finishing of the worke which his Father had given him to doe What himselfe therein did he orders his Apostles and Disciples to doe the like When they persecute you in oxe Citie flee into another And wherefore must they flye Why that so by that meanes they might have opportunitie to doe the worke which their Lord and Master had given them to doe viz. to publish the Gospell throughout all the Cities of Iudea This it either is or ought to be the desire and designe as of every private Christian so specially of every Minister of Jesus Christ that they may finish the worke which God hath given them to doe in doing what good they may to his Church and people Now that way which may most conduce unto that end that they must take If they may be more serviceable to the Church in their flying now God bids them flee If in their staying now Gods bids them stand This is the generall Rule which the word holdeth forth unto us God thereby making knowne his will unto us touching our flying or standing in time of Persecution Secondly For more particular and personall directions herein taking this Rule of the word along with us we must have recourse to the worke of God I meane his Providentiall worke the passages of his Providence from whence we may ordinarily learne somewhat more of his meaning and purpose towards us This worke of Providence in this case observable is two-â—old viz. Inward or Outward his worke within us and his worke without us First His inward work his work upon the inwardman upon our hearts and spirits in the ordering and tempering of them This wee find God doing variously even as the Smith dealeth with his Iron which sometimes he hardens sometimes he softnes Thus dealeth God with the spirits of his owne people sometimes he hardeneth them take it in a good sense fleeleth them as it were with an Heroicall Resolution putting into their hearts a Spirit of courage and fortitude so strengthning them with all might according to his glorious power unto all patience and long suffering with joyfulnesse as Paul prayeth for his Colossâ—ans as that they dare looke whatever dangers or enemies in the face Thus was it with Elias when he tooke up that Resolution that whatever came he would looke his Arch-enemy Ahab in the face Notwithstanding that Ahab had vowed his death and had made a most strict and narrow search for him throughout all the bordering Kingdomes and Nations as Obadiah tells him yet for all that Eliah is resolved come what will come he will face him As the Lord liveth before whom I stand I will surely shew my selfe unto him this day so he tells Obadiah Thus was it with Paul when he went bound in the spirit to Ierusalem whatever dangers were represented to him he weighs them not his resolution was to face the worst that could come I passe not at all saith he neither is my life deare unto me so that I may fulfill my course with joy and the Ministration which I have received of the Lord Iesus to testifie the Gospell of the grace of God Such a motion of the Spirit others of the Martyrs of Christ in the Primitive times many in latter times some have found and felt strongly inclining and carrying them on to give testimony to the truth steeling their spirits against whatever dangers whatever sufferings Now in this case God seemeth to give the word to such bidding them stand calling them to resist though it be unto blood And
to this voice they ought to be obedient But sometimes on the other hand God seemetâ— as it were to soften the spirits of men and that by withdrawing or with-holding that Spirit of strength and courage from them so as upon due tryall and examination after a serious dealing with their owne hearts about it they find themselves weake and faint-hearted not able to beare the shock of an approaching Temptation but see just cause to feare that if they be put upon the tryall they shall rather shame the cause of Christ by their cowardize then any waies grace or advantage it by their suffering Now in this case God seemeth for the present to give them a Relaxation a Dismission allowing them to withdraw from the present danger and to take the opportunitie which he shall be pleased to offer them for their outward safetie and securitie that so they may live to the glory of God keeping faith and a good conscience Here is the worke of God within a man which in this case Christians must have a speciall regard unto Secondly His outward worke is the worke of his Providence in ordering of circumstances either for the furthering or hindring of flight Herein the Providence of God is oft-times very observable and remarkable First Sometimes God by his Providence he maketh way for his people that they may escape maketh way for them that freeing them from outward Incumbrances which might detaine them and so hinder them from flying And secondly offering lawfull wayes and means to them whereby they may fly See them both in Peter in that 12th of the Acts. Peter being in prison God intending his rescue and inlargement â—ends his Angell to him who brings a light with him to shew him the way to escape And to that end he first causeth the chaines to fall off from his hands so taking off impediments and incumbrances Then he maketh way for him causing the doores the prison doores first and afterwards the Iron-gate to open to him of their own accord withall leading and conducting him in the way by which he should flye Thus when God hath a purpose to free and deliver his people from the Temptation of Persecution he will cause a light to shine unto them in darkenesse shewing them the way to escape And to that end he will both cause their chaines to fall off take off outward lets and impediments and incumbrances which might be a clog and a hindrance to them and he will make way for their deliverance opening either a wide doore to them as there he did to Peter and elsewhere to Peter and other of the Apostles who being cast into the common prison at Ierusalem the Angel of the Lord came by night and opened the prison doores for them or else a window as he did to Paul when he was beset in Damascus 2 Cor. 11. providing either an open or a secret way for their escape Now in this case when God thus layeth out the way for his people especially when he openeth a doore to them making a cleare and free passage for them offering lawfull wayes and meanes and putting into their hands a just and faire opportunitie to flye In this case he seemeth rather to bid them serve his Providence by making use of the meanes of deliverance offered and tendred unto them which if they doe not especially if they be not more then ordinarily strengthned to hold out they may seeme to tempt God Secondly But sometime in the second place on the other hand God may seeme to shut up his people his Providence so disposing of their condition as that he cuts off all safe and lawfull wayes and meanes of making escape either so clogging them with outward impediments as that they cannot flye or else not shewing them any faire or lawfull way whereby they may flye That is the direct case here in the Text Israel being come to the Red Sea they were now in a strait God had shut them in on every side so as they could not flye without eminent advantage to the Enemy and hazard to themselves They must as I told you have fallen first upon the Rocks and then upon the Wildernesses which were full of fiery Serpents And therefore being brought into this condition Moses here biddeth them stand and stand still And this must the Lords People in the like condition doe When God by his Providence hath so hedged them in as that they cannot see any safe or lawfull way for their escape they must now stand still resigning up themselves unto God resting themselves contented with his dispensation abiding his good will and pleasure not adventuring upon any indirect or unlawfull wayes or meanes for their rescue or deliverance A truth so cleare in Thess. 1. that indeed it needeth no demonstration The Ground of it being those generall Rules and knowne Maximes both in Reason and Religion 1. Reason tells us that of two evills the lesse is ever to be chosen Now comparing them together and let Religion be the judge we shall find the least sinne to be a greater Evill then the greatest suffering the one being but a finite the other an infinite Evill 2. And secondly Religion will tell us That Evill may not be done that good may come of it no not the least evill for the producing of the greatest good It was an imputation cast upon the Apostle and the Primitive Christians in his time that they should say Let us doe â—ill that good may come Rom. 3. But Paâ—l cleares both himselfe and them washing his hands of it as a most foul slander a Blasphemy {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} {non-Roman} As we are slanderously reported A doctrine most erroneous soule and so is the practice Vse Which in the feare of God let every of us take heed of Is it so that God at any time shall bring us into straits hedging us in so as we see no doore no window opened no lawfull way or meanes offered to us for our deliverance take heed of adventuring upon any unlawfull and unwarrantable And this doe wee as in other cases So particularly in that case which the Text more directly leadeth us unto viz. the case of open Persecution In this case if ever God shall bring us to it as how soone he may wee know not the first thing wee doe let us with the Psalmist hearken and heare what God shall say unto us whether hee bid us stand or flye which we may for the most part judge of by the Rules and Directions before laid down and accordingly let us order and demean our selves If he bid us flye take heed how we stand least in standing we fall fall into Temptation If he bid us stand now take heed how we flye that is the case in the Text which if we doe upon our owne perill be it and so it will be certainly wee shall find neither comfort nor