(2.) " The curtains of the land of Midian," for the Midianites dwelling in curtained tabernacles, by the same figure as before. They trembled, — J-lins "moved themselves, were moved;" that is, shaken with fear and trembling, as though they were ready to run from the appearance of the mighty God with his people. The story of it you have in the Book of Numbers,^ as it was prophetically foretold by Moses concerning other nations, Exod. xv. 14-16, "The people shall hear, and be afraid : sorrow shall take hold on the inhabitants of Pa- lestina. Then the dukes of Edom shall be amazed ; the mighty men of Moab," &c. God filled those nations with anguish, son-ow, and amazement, at the protection he granted his people.
3. The prophet's view of all this: "I saw" it, or "I see" it. Though it were eight hundred and seventy years before, supposing him to prophesy about the end of Josiah or beginning of Jehoiakim, yet, taking it under the consideration of faith, he makes it present to his view.
Faith looketh backwards and forwards, — to what God hath done, and to what he hath promised to do. Abraham saw the day of Christ, so many ages after, because he found it by faith in the promise. Habakkuk saw the ten-ors of Cushan and. Midian so many days before, l)ecause faith found it recorded among the works of God, to support itself in seeking the like mercies to be renewed. So that
'- "Tantos invidus habet pcBiia justa tortores, quautos invidiosus liabueiit lau- datores." — Prosp. de Vita Contemplativa. * Numb. XXV., xxxi.
100 A MEMORIAL OF THE DELIVERANCE
this is the sum of this verse : " 0 Lord, faith makes it evident, and presents it before my view, how in fonner days, when thou wast doing great things for tliy people, thou filled st all thine and then- enemies with fear, vexation, trembling, and astonishment."
XIII. Obsei-vation. Faith gives a jyt'esent subsistence to forepast works as recorded, and future mercies as promised, to support the sold in an evil day.
I have made the doctrine, by analog}^, look both ways, though the words of the text look but one.
The apostle tells us, that " faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen," Heb. xl 1.
1. "Of things hoped for." It looks forward to the promises, and so gives the substance of them in present possession, confinning our minds and hearts, that they may have a subsistence, as it were, within us, though not actually made out unto us.
2. It is " the evidence of things not seen." It extends itself not only to things promised, but, taking for its object the whole word of God, it makes evident and present things that are past also. The faith commended, verse 3, is of things long since done,— even the " making of the things that are seen of the things that do not ap- pear." " Abraham saw my day," saith our Saviour, John viii. 5Q. He saw it as Habakkuk saw the tents of Cushan in affliction; — faith made it present to him; all the ages between him and his promised seed Avere as nothing to his keen-sighted faith. Hence the af)Ostle puts the mercies of the promise all in one foriu and rank, as already wrought, though some of them were enjoyed, and some of them in this life cannot be, Rom. viii. 30, " Whom he hath justified, them 'he hath glorified : " he hath done it for them already, because he hath made them believe it, and that gives it a present subsistence in their spirit. And for forepast woiks, they are still mentioned by the saints as if they had been done in their days, before their eyes. Elisha calls up to remembrance a fonner miracle, to the eflfectmg the like, 2 Kings ii. 14.
There be three things in the past or future mercies which faith makes present to the soul, giving, in the substance of them, — (1.) Their love; (2.) Their consolation; (3.) Their use and benefit.
(1.) The love of them. The love that was in former works, and the love that is in promised mercies, that faith draws out, and really makes ours. The love of every recorded deliverance is given to us by faith. It looks into the good-will, the free grace, the loving-kindness of God, in eveiy work that ever he did for his, and cries. Yet this is mine: — this is the kernel of tliat blessing, and this is mine; for the same good-will, the same kindness he hath towards me also. Were the same outward actings tieedful, I should have them also. The free
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love of every mercy is faith's pi-oper object. It makes all Joshua's gi'eat victories present to every one of us. The promise that had the love and grace in it, which ran through them all, is given him. Josh. i. 5, " I will be with thee, I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee." Now the apostle tells us that the truth and love of this promise is ours, Heb. iv. 8. Faith may, doth assure itself, that what good-will soever was in all the great mercies which Joshua received upon that promise, is all ours. All the good-will and choice love of, " I will never leave thee nor forsake thee," is mine and thine, if we are be- lievers. He that hath this present, hath all Joshua's victories present. The very glory of the saints in heaven is ours in the love of it. We enjoy that love Avhicli gave them glory, and will crown us also in due time.