6. There is an obediential stand still; that is, for the hearts of men
hindrance at all to any preparations that may be used: therefore all these are nothing.
6. There is an obediential stand still; that is, for the hearts of men and women to stand still, to wait, to know further of God's mind.
What God reveals, our hearts are willing to yield to. And we will listen to hear what the mind of God further is, what God would have us do — to stand still in order to hearken to what the Lord would have us do, with hearts resigned up to Him, and resolved to walk accordingly. This is good, and that is something of it; but that is not all.
7. There is a stand still out of Faith, a believing stand still. And that is when (even in the greatest extremity), having used whatever means we can for helping us, we yet see ourselves wrapped up in extremity. I will now exercise Faith.
(1.) First, to quiet my heart; to get out of my spirit those distracting thoughts of that hurry and tumult that there is in the heart, and to silence it all — all murmurings, all distractions, all giddiness of spirit, and the uproar that many times is in the hearts of men and women in time of danger. So by Faith I come to quiet these, and to get my heart to be still within me. Be still O my soul; and therefore the Scripture expresses this waiting upon God out of Faith, as a word of silence. See Psalm 62 at the beginning, and verse 5, My soul waits upon God; it is silenced — so the Hebrew word signifies: silence in God. Many times, there is in the hearts of men and women (when they apprehend any danger) a great deal of hurrying and noise in their hearts. All is a combustion in their hearts; it is a grievous thing to see a city in combustion, enflamed and in a tumult. There are many men and women whose hearts are in as great a tumult upon the apprehension of danger, as many times a whole city is in tumult. There is a rising in their hearts, and a mighty noise there. Sometimes they keep their tongues silent
(perhaps in private or public exigencies); but their hearts boil within them. But your hearts must be silent. You must cry out to your heart, Be silent there! My heart is now in mutiny, and a great deal of stir: Cry Silence! to your heart, that your heart and thoughts may be composed. That is the meaning of the word, that there should be a settled composed frame of spirit in the hearts of men and women in times of extremity. That is the first.