(2.) What shall they do ? They " shall trust in it;" ^DH^ nai^ « and in it they shall trust;" — that is, being "in it, they shall trust," confide, acquiesce, namely, in the Lord, who hath -svrought this work ; or, "in it," that is, either in the work of God, or in Zion so established by God.
The word here used for " trusting," is sometimes taken for to " re- pair " or to retreat to any thing, and not properly to put trust, affiance, or confidence; and so it is rendered in the margin of your books, " They shall betake themselves to it." So is the word used. Judges ix. 15; Ps. xxxvi. 7. So the intendment is, — that the poor, pre- served people of God, seeing his design to found Zion, and to establish the interest of his chosen, shall leave off all other designs, aims, and contrivances, and wind up all on the same bottom :— they shall not, at least they ought not (for I told you the words might denote either their duty, what they ought to do; or the event, what they shall do), set up designs and aims of their own, and contend about other things; but betake their hopes to that which is the main intendment of God, the establishment of the interest of his people, and cast all other things in a subsei'viency thereunto. The sum is, —
IV. It is the duty of God's poor preserved remnant, laying aside all other aims and contrivances, to betake themselves to the work of God, founding Zion, and preserving the common interest of his people.
Of the propositions thus drawn from the words, I shall treat seve- rally, so far as they may be foundations of the inferences intended. And. —
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I. The nations about will he diligently inquiring concerning God's dispensations arnong his p>eople; — their eyes are upon them, and they will be inquiring after them.
In the handling of this, and all that follows, I humbly desire that you would consider in what capacity, as to the discharge of this work, I look upon myself and you. As you are hearers of the word of God (in which state alone at present, though with reference to your de- signed employment, I look upon you), you are not at all distinguished from others or among yourselves, but as you are believers or not, — regenerate persons, or coming short thereof And on this account, as I shall not speak of my rulers Avithout reverence, so I shall endea- vour to speak to my hearers with authority.
I say, then, there are certain affections and principles, that are active in the nations, that will make them restless, and always put them upon this inquiry. The people of God, on one account or other, shall be, in all seasons, a separated people. Numb, xxiii. 9, " Lo, the people shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the na- tions;" yea, they are separated from them, whilst they are in their bowels, and dwell in the midst of them, Mic. v. 7, 8. Whether they are amongst them as the spring of their mercies or the rise of their destruction (one of which they will always be), yet they are not of them. No sooner, then, is any people, or portion of them, thus de- dicated to God, but all the nations about, and those amongst them not engaged in the same way with them, instantly look on them as utterly severed from them. Having other ways, ends, and interests than they, — being built up wholly on another account and founda- tion,— they reckon not of them as a people and a nation. The con- clusion they make concerning them is that of Haman, Esther iii. 8, " There is a certain people scattered abroad, and dispersed among the people in all the provinces of thy kingdom ; and their laws are diverse from all people." Not their moral and judicial laws, which were the sum of that perfection which all nations aimed at, — on which account they said of them, " Surely this gi-eat nation is a wise and understanding people," Deut. iv. 6; and the keeping of those laws was their wisdom and understanding among all nations; — nor yet merely the laws of their religious worship ; but the whole way, inte- rest, design, profession of that people, is comprised in this expression, — they " are diverse from all people." Looking on them in this state, they have principles, as I said, that will caiTy them out to an inquiry into then state and condition.
1. They are full of envy against them : " They shall be ashamed for their envy at the people," Isa. xxvi. 11. Looking on them as tvholly separated from them, and standing on another account than they do, they are full of envy at them. Envy is a restless passion, full of
408 god's work in founding zion.
inquiries and jealousies ; the more it finds of poison, tlie more it swells and feeds. It will search into the bottom of that which its eye is fixed on. The transaction of the whole business between Nehemiah and Sanballat gives light to this consideration. See Neh. iv. 1—6. And ever the nearer any nation is to this people, the greater is their envy. It was Edom, and Moab, and Ammon, the nations round about, that were most filled with ^vl•ath and envy agamst Israel. Yea, when that people was divided among themselves, and the true worship of God remained with Judah, and they became the separated people, Ephraim was instantly filled with envy against them, Isa. xi. 13, " The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah ;" for there must be a desire of the same thing, or something answering it (which befalls in proximity of habitation), that a man is envied for in him that envies him. This is one fountain of the nations' mquiry after your affahs.