3. How desperate are sometimes the straits of Gods Israel in the eye of man? How low their Spirits before deliverance? They here behold a deep Sea before them, and a raging Enemy behind them: Hear a confused noise of women and Children in the midst of them, feel the pantings of their own hearts, & perhaps see a consternation in the faces of their governors; they see themselves disarmed of weapons, lying almost at the mercy of an oppressor, with a well furnished Army; they repent of what God had done for them, and are more ambitious of slavery than liberty; Quarrel with Moses (And as one of their Historians saith, were about to stone him) Exod. 14.10, 11, 12. Without doubt they then thought him a liar, and it is likely had no more honourable thoughts at that time of God; for when they saw the happy success in the miraculous overthrow of the Egyptians, then they believed God and his servant Moses, Exod. 14.31. as if they gave credit to neither of them before. They had a pillar of Fire, and a Cloud, the chariot of God; A greater argument to establish them than the preparation of their enemies to terrify them. But what a faithless creature is man under the visible guard of Heaven, and so far naturally from living by faith, that he will hardly draw establishments from sense!
3. How desperate are somtimes the straits of Gods Israel in the eye of man? How low their Spirits before deliverance? They here behold a deep Sea before them, and a raging Enemy behind them: Hear a confused noise of women and Children in the midst of them, feel the pantings of their own hearts, & perhaps see a consternation in the faces of their governours; they see themselves disarmed of weapons, lying almost at the mercy of an oppressor, with a well furnisht Army; they repent of what God had done for them, and are more ambitious of slavery than liberty; Quarrel with Moses (And as one of their Historians saith, were about to stone him) Exod. 14.10, 11, 12. Without doubt they then thought him a lyar, and it is likely had no more honourable thoughts at that time of God; for when they saw the happy success in the miraculous overthrow of the Aegyptians, then they believed God and his servant Moses, Exod. 14.31. as if they gave credit to neither of them before. They had a pillar of Fire, and a Cloud, the chariot of God; A greater argument to establish them than the preparation of their enemies to terrifie them. But what a faithless creature is man under the visible guard of Heaven, and so far naturally from living by faith, that he will hardly draw establishments from sense!
