salvation is at hand, when a Christian stands still, when he sits quiet
upon your mouths, and to sit silent before the Lord under your
greatest straits and your sorest trials.
11. Eleventhly, Consider, That mercy is nearest, deliverance and
salvation is at hand, when a Christian stands still, when he sits quiet
and silent under his greatest troubles and his sorest trials. Exod. 14,
they were in very great straits. Pharaoh with a mighty army was
behind them, the Red Sea before them, mountains on each hand of
them, and no visible means to deliver them. But now they stand still
to see the salvation of the Lord, ver. 13, and within a few hours their
enemies are destroyed, and they are gloriously delivered, ver. 24, et
seq. Ps. 39:9, David is dumb, he sits mute under his smart afflictions;
but if you look to the second and third verses of the fortieth Psalm,
you shall find mercy draw near to him and work salvation for him.
'He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the mire and
clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings. And he
hath put a new song into my mouth, even praise unto our God; many
shall see it and fear, and shall trust in the Lord.' And so when
Absalom had made a great conspiracy against him, and his subjects
fell off from him, and he was forced to flee for his life, his spirit was
quiet and calm. 2 Sam. 15:25, 26, 'And the king said unto Zadok,
Carry back the ark of God into the city: if I shall find favour in the
eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, and shew me both it and his
habitation. But if he thus say, I have no delight in thee; behold, here
am I, let him do to me as seemeth good unto him.' And the same
calmness and quietness of spirit was upon him when Shimei bitterly
cursed him, and railed upon him, chap. 16:5–14; and within a few