To apply it now. It affordeth divers inferences of duty, suitable to our divers cases and conditions.
1. To keep up the heart in case the means be weak. Take heed, do not sink to any base despondency of mind or spirit. Usually when means are weak men fly to wicked means, to a base desertion of the cause of God that they have undertaken, and yield to every unworthy fear: Isa. viii. 6, 'Forasmuch as this people refuseth the waters of Shiloah that go softly, and rejoice in Rezin and Remaliah's son.' Shiloah was a little stream in Jerusalem. Now rivers are often put for the refreshments and accommodations of a i)lace. So that the sense is, they had rather basely yield up to Hezin and Remaliah's son than wait upon God, to see what he will do with the small forces in Jerusalem. Do not despise the waters of Shiloah. It is the greatest honour that can be done to God, if we keep up endeavours for him, thougli we have but weak means and encouragements; but then faith is tried, how you can cast yourselves upon a bare promise.
2. In case you have great means, fear them ; God usually worketh by the most unlikely. The proi)het David in the Psalms often expresseth himself as full of fears when his armies had been successful and vic- torious, not doubting of God, but himself ; doubting lest he provoke him by being lifted up with his mercies, as you know in that place, 2 Chron. x.xxii. 2.5. 'His heart was lifted up, therefore there was wrath u})on him.' David, when he had great strength, must needs fall to numbering of the ])eople, 2 Sam. xxiv. 11. It is a sad sign of speedy ruin when a })eople reckon and rely upon their strength. The more it is, the less it should be in your value and estimation. Asa had an army of six hundred thousand, and yet, 2 Chron. xiv. 11, he saith, ' We have no power.' Get it out of your hearts ; it is no strength to you unless God go with it.
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3. In case weak means have been successful, give God the glory, and do not boast. This is visibly one of God's ends in such i)rovi- dences, that we may take notice of his strength. In other instances it is from God, but in this most remarkably: as Pharaoh's magicians said, Exod. viii. 19, * This is the finger of God.' There God remarkably dis- covereth himself in such deliverances. We ascribe it to his power, but not to his mercy. Therefore our care, as I told you, should be especially that we do not ascribe the merit of it to ourselves, as we do ascribe the working of it to God : Deut. ix. 4, ' Speak not thou in thine heart, after that the Lord thy God hath cast them out from be- fore thee, saying, For my righteousness the Lord hath brought me in to possess this land.' Give the Lord the praise. This is our case ; our praise Miould live beyond the day of its public solemnisation.
I proceed to the second point, viz. : —
Doct. 2. That God cometh in for the deliverance of his people in times of greatest despair and unlikelihood. I will give you a few places. Zech. xiv. 7, ' At evening time it shall be light;' that is, sepulcrum lucis, it shall break forth when a man would think that all things should be enveloped and wrapped up in darkness. So Mat. xxv. 6, ' At midnight there was a cry made. Behold, the bridegroom cometh,' when all slumbered and slept ; all expectation was given over. So Luke xviii. 8, ' When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth ? ' All things will be at such a desperate pass, that nobody will believe that ever he will come. Faith there is taken for a confident expectation of good success, not in its whole latitude, as it is falsely mis-expounded.
The reasons are : —
1. That he may seize upon his enemies suddenly, even steal upon them, as Christ did upon the world, when the sixth vial was poured out. Christ saith, Eev. xvi. 15, ' Behold, I come as a thief ; ' that is, as one not expected. So 1 Thes. v. 2, ' For yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so cometh as a thief in the night ; ' that is, with respect to the suddenness of it. To wicked men it is unexpected.
2. That he may sufiiciently try and exercise the patience and other suffering graces of his people : James i. 4, ' Let patience have its per- fect work.' It is but a partial patience in a partial calamity. Then it is perfect patience when it is thoroughly exercised. So also that he may try their faith, whether they will believe in him or no, whether they can fetch one contrary out of another : Hosea ii. 15, He hath given ' the valley of Achor for a door of hope.' And so for prayer, and to stir up delight in him.
Use. Do not then give over your dependence upon God in the worst of times : Gen. xviii. 14, ' Is anything too hard for the Lord ? ' Un- belief stumbleth most at God's power ; when we cannot see which way we shall be helped, then we are apt to doubt. But at such times consider: —