promise and rest on the promise, notwithstanding that providence
kinsman, and that is my father, and the other is my brother, and that
the one is too great and the other is too mean for justice," this is
inglorious. The basest and unworthiest spirits on earth cannot do
more basely; there is nothing of the power of the Spirit or heavenly
gallantry in such. It is said, Psalm 106:30-31, "Then stood Phinehas,
and executed judgment: so the plague was stayed. And that was
accounted to him for righteousness to all generations forever." Oh
this executing of justice impartially, how it makes the names of
people to live from generation to generation! If so be that the powers
of this world would have their names immortal, so engraved that
they should never be wiped out, let them do justice. This is that
Phinehas was admired for; it was "accounted to him for
righteousness, to all generations for evermore."
8. And then, lastly, Men do gloriously when they believe the
promise and rest on the promise, notwithstanding that providence
seems to cross the promise. It is nothing--it is not to do gloriously--
for a man to believe, and to love, and the like, when the promise is
made good, when God is a-smiling and in a-giving way—but to do
gloriously is to believe the promise, to stay upon the promise, when
providence in our apprehension crosses the promise.
In this respect, Abraham did very gloriously; he believed the
promise though providence seemed to cross the promise. "I will give
you a son," says God. Abraham was old, and Sarah was stricken in
years; and yet Abraham believed, and this was such a glorious piety
as God has put it upon record. This faith of Abraham so takes God,
that he swears with joy, Gen. 13:16-17, "That in blessing I will bless
you."
So it was with Moses: Num. 10:29, "And Moses said unto Hobab,
the son of Raguel the Midianite, Moses' father-in-law, We are
journeying unto the place of which the Lord said, I will give it to you:
come with us, and we will do you good; for the Lord has spoken good
concerning Israel." Mark, what could he promise in the wilderness,
where the Lord exercised those poor wretches with judgment upon
judgment, with misery upon misery, and one calamity upon the neck
of another? Moses was confident in the promise of God, that God
would do Israel good, and he adventured to engage Hobab on that
consideration; "Come along with us; the Lord has spoken good, and
we will do you good." I am confident, though providence crosses the
promise, and God seems to be angry, and to chide, and frown, and
strike, and destroy—yet he will make good his promise, and "we will
do you good." Oh, this is to do gloriously, to believe the promise
when providence crosses it.
Do you see heaven frown, and things to work contrary to those
promises which respect the joy, glory, liberty, and the exaltation of
the saints? Does providence work contrary to the promise? Now do
gloriously, believe the promise, rest in the promise; let heaven and
earth meet, devils and men combine; let men play the apostates, and
prove treacherous--I will rest on the promise, suck sweetness from