Well, what was their Plot?—It was to make him cease from the work of the Lord.—And how did they lay the Plot, say they at ver. 9. For they all made ⟨p. 106⟩us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakened from the work. They all made us afraid, v. 13. (speaking of false Prophets) Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin. And saith he, ver. 14. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and on the Prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the Prophets that would have put me in fear. This was the way to make Nehemiah cease from the work of God that was in his hand, to put him in fear, to scare him. And therefore take heed of the scares of the time, but go to God for boldness, that you may be emboldened with the boldness of the Holy Ghost. And therefore do but read the fourth of the Acts, where you find, that when the Apostles were threatened, they returned unto their own company, and fell to Prayer, at ver. 23. And being let go, they went to their own company, and there they fall to Prayer, And they lift up their voice,—And what did they pray for? the great thing that they prayed for in their Prayer, was, That God would give them boldness. And now Lord, say they, ver. 29. Behold their threatenings, and grant unto thy Servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy Word. And what was the Answer, ver. 3•. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all f•lled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness. This was the Petition put up, Behold Lord their threatenings, now give boldness to thy Servants. Presently God answered, and they were filled with the boldness of the Holy Ghost, and so they bare their testimony. And so I say, If you would bear your testimony in these days of ours, Take heed of being scared and feared with the scare-Crows of the times: But rather go to God, and beg boldness of him, that you may be emboldened ⟨p. 107⟩with the boldness of the Holy Ghost; and thus shall you do this great work, which is the work that we have to do in this day of ours. And so I have done with the first thing, why the Saints and people of God are called witnesses, Namely, because it is their work in Anti-Christian times to bear witness to the truths and ways of Christ, in opposition to the ways of Anti-Christ.
Well, what was their Plot?—It was to make him cease from the work of the Lord.—And how did they lay the Plot, say they at ver. 9. For they all made ⟨p. 106⟩us afraid, saying, Their hands shall be weakned from the work. They all made us afraid, v. 13. (speaking of false Prophets) Therefore was he hired, that I should be afraid, and do so, and sin. And saith he, ver. 14. My God, think thou upon Tobiah and Sanballat, according to these their works, and on the Prophetess Noadiah, and the rest of the Prophets that would have put me in fear. This was the way to make Nehemiah cease from the work of God that was in his hand, to put him in fear, to scare him. And therefore take heed of the scares of the time, but go to God for boldness, that you may be emboldned with the boldness of the Holy Ghost. And therefore do but read the fourth of the Acts, where you find, that when the Apostles were threatned, they returned unto their own company, and fell to Prayer, at ver. 23. And being let go, they went to their own company, and there they fall to Prayer, And they lift up their voice,—And what did they pray for? the great thing that they prayed for in their Prayer, was, That God would give them boldness. And now Lord, say they, ver. 29. Behold their threatnings, and grant unto thy Servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy Word. And what was the Answer, ver. 3•. And when they had prayed, the place was shaken where they were assembled together, and they were all f•lled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the Word of God with boldness. This was the Petition put up, Behold Lord their threatnings, now give boldness to thy Servants. Presently God answered, and they were filled with the boldness of the Holy Ghost, and so they bare their testimony. And so I say, If you would bear your testimony in these dayes of ours, Take heed of being scared and feared with the scare-Crowes of the times: But rather go to God, and beg boldness of him, that you may be emboldned ⟨p. 107⟩with the boldness of the Holy Ghost; and thus shall you do this great work, which is the work that we have to do in this day of ours. And so I have done with the first thing, why the Saints and people of God are called witnesses, Namely, because it is their work in Anti-Christian times to bear witness to the truths and wayes of Christ, in opposition to the wayes of Anti-Christ.
