An exposition with practical observations continued upon the thirty-fifth, thirty-sixth, and thirty-seventh chapters of…

Further, We ought to have a quiet, sedate, composed spy it, not only when we hear doctrinal truths delivered from the word of God, but also when we hear of the providences and various wo•ks of God. As this word, stand still, may refer to the words going before, Hearken unto this, so to those which follow, Consider the wonderful works of God: And then the duty required in them reaches both his Word and Works. It is a great power of grace which causeth the heart to stand still in this sense, that is, to ⟨p. 528⟩be in a quiet frame when the works of God trouble us, or are troublesome to us. Thus M•ses bespake the Israelite (Exod 14.12.) Stand still, and see the salvation of God. It was a very troublesome time with the Israelites, they were ready to give themselves and all they had for lost, when Moses exhorted them to stand still. Nothing but faith in God can make us stand still when we are ready to fail, and that will certainly do it. Unbelief makes the heart as unquiet as theirs was upon the report of a war against Judah (Isa. 7.2.) And his heart (that is, the heart of Ahaz) was moved, and the heart of his people as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind. 'Tis hard travel of soul to sta•d still and see the salvation of God, when every thing seen threatens desolation. The Lord is represented requiring us to do so (Psal. 46.10.) Be still, and know that I am God. When the Psalmist had spoken of the desolating works of God, he added this word from the Lord, be still; as if he had said, the Lord commandeth you •o be of a quiet and composed spirit, when all things seem to be in a hurry or confusion; for, he had said before (vers. 8.) Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he hath made in the earth! Yet even now (saith the Lord) Be still, and know that I am God. David at the beginning of the Psalm had professed a f•rm purpose in himself and in all the faithful w•th him, for such a still-standing, how-ever things moved or matters should go, yea, tumble in this world (vers. 1, 2.) Though the earth be moved, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, though the waters thereof roar, &c. We will not fear, God is our refuge and strength. How comely is it for man thus to stand still in a silent and believing consideration of what God hath done or is doing; to which Elihu called Job expressly, in the next words, stand still;