Calvin, I say, observes, that the children of God do not trust merely to the goodness of their Cause, but make their continual addresses to God by prayer, for his counsel and patronage in the managing of it. The neglect hereof, was the miscarriage of Two famous Battles wherein God himself sent the children of Israel to do execution upon their Brethren the children of Benjamin, who refused to give up their Delinquents to the hand of Justice: in the first whereof, they lost Two and twenty thousand; in the second, Eighteen thousand men, and all because they went out to the work full of carnal confidence, trusting to the goodness of their Cause, their Commission in their hand, with the broad Seal of heaven to it; but did not go forth with that fear and trembling, with that humiliation and seeking of God by prayer, as became a Service of that nature and importance. You may know what the cause of their miscarriage was, by their Recovery; for when in the 26 verse you find them going up to the House of the Lord with FASTING, and WEEPING, and SUPPLICATIONS, &c. then they go forth and prosper. Oh, God takes it very ill when men think they can do their work alone without God; and leaves them to encounter with desperate difficulties and opposition, to convince them of their folly, while he may justly say unto them. Nay, if you have done praying, I have done helping.
Calvin, I say, observes, that the children of God do not trust meerly to the goodnesse of their Cause, but make their continual addresses to God by prayer, for his counsel and patronage in the managing of it. The neglect hereof, was the miscarriage of Two famous Battels wherein God himself sent the children of Israel to do execution upon their Brethren the children of Benjamin, who refused to give up their Delinquents to the hand of Justice: in the first whereof, they lost Two and twenty thousand; in the second, Eighteen thousand men, and all because they went out to the work full of carnal confidence, trusting to the goodnesse of their Cause, their Commission in their hand, with the broad Seal of heaven to it; but did not go forth with that fear and trembling, with that humiliation and seeking of God by prayer, as became a Service of that nature and importance. You may know what the cause of their miscarriage was, by their Recovery; for when in the 26 verse you finde them going up to the House of the Lord with FASTING, and WEEPING, and SUPPLICATIONS, &c. then they go forth and prosper. Oh, God takes it very ill when men think they can do their work alone without God; and leaves them to encounter with desperate difficulties and opposition, to convince them of their follie, while he may justly say unto them. Nay, if you have done praying, I have done helping.
