selves that " in the mount of difficulty he will be seenc." The direction to all the Lord's people is, " He that believeth, shall not make haste'1."]
3. When personal exertion will take the matter out of God's hands —
[We admire the conduct of David, who, in his conflict with Goliath, would take nothing with him but a sling and a stone. Here, not in word only, but in deed also, he shewed where his trust was, even in God, who had assured him of the victory e. On the other hand, King Asa, though on the whole a pious monarch, brought on himself the displeasure of the Most High, because " in a time of sickness he sought to the physicians rather than to his Godf." He was not to blame for applying to the physicians, as God's instruments for his relief: his fault was, in relying on their skill, rather than on God's power and grace. It is not every use of means that violates the rule that is here prescribed : they may be used, if they are used simply as means : but our trust must be as entirely on God as if no means whatever were employed. The Apostles were directed, when brought before kings and governors for the Gospel sake, to " take no thought what they should say, in defence of them- selves, or of the Gospel which they preached : they were told, that, in the precise time of need, they should be instructed by God what they should speaks." That was necessary, in order to shew that they spake not of their own minds, but by inspi- ration of God. But if ministers, in their stated services, without any such call from God, were to neglect to prepare for their public addresses, they would only tempt the Lord ; who autho- rizes none to " offer to Him that which costs them nothing." After all our preparation, our reliance must be on Him, " who alone can give the increase, even though Paul should plant, and Apollos water." The true distinction is, that " in the spirit of our minds" we are to sit still, whether we use any means or not: and, when God's agency will be more seen and known and acknowledged, and his glory be thereby the more advanced, then we are to forbear the use of means altogether, or only use them as the prophet did the lump of figs, to heal in Hezekiah a fatal disorder11.]
Let me now add,
1. A word of caution —
[Doubtless this doctrine is open to abuse. In truth, there are many, who, when urged to seek after God for the salvation
c
Gen. xxii. 14.
rt Isai. xxviii. \6.
e
1 Sam. xvii. 39-
-47.
f 2 Chron. xvi. 12
g
Matt. x. 19, 20.
d2
h 2 Kings xx. 7.