And in the multitude of their Mighty Men

And in the multitude of their Mighty Men.

This made them very confident in their way: Why, they had an Army to back them, they had an Army to fight for them, to maintain that way of theirs, they had countenance from men of power, they had strength enough to crush any that should oppose them.

That's the note that lies plainly before us: when the outward strength of a Kingdom goes along with a way of religion then men think it must needs be right, and that all men are but weak men that appears against it. Mark the connexion: They trusted in their way: that is, (as I find generally interpreters go) the way of religion. And then, their mighty men, these two are put together: so that you see the note is very evident before you, that's the way that generally men will trust in, and men will go that way; were the scale turned and the strength of the mighty men went another way; As now, suppose that the strength of the Kingdom of the ten Tribes had been bent to go up to Jerusalem to worship, and not to worship at Dan & Bethel, do you think there would have been almost any considerable party that would not have gone up to Jerusalem, but worshiped at Dan & Bethel? But when the strength of the Kingdom held the other way, when the mighty men and the way of religion went both in one, the generality of the people went that way that the mighty men went. This is the vanity and the exceeding evil of men's hearts, that which way soever the mighty men go, that way they will trust in. There are very few that will deliberately say so, I will go that way that I see the mighty men go in: but this is a secret bias and poise upon the spirits of men which inclines them to hearken to what may be said for that way, and not willingly to what may be said for another. And secondly, it is such a poise upon their spirits, as makes them to be willing and ready to let in any probability, if there be but the least probability for the way that the mighty men go on in they take in that, and when they have taken in one probability, that makes way for another, and another, and so they drink in more and more, and so come to be strengthened for that way, so as to put off the strength of any thing that can be said against the way, except it be so apparent, as whether they will nor no, they must be forced to sin against their consciences directly if they go another way. I say, when the spirits of men are biased by seeing the strength of the Kingdom go in a way, though (perhaps) they may have some good lie at their hearts, yet there is that corruption in man's heart that except we can make the other way so clear, that notwithstanding all shifts, and all kind of reasonings that may be, they shall be self-condemned in their own consciences, that their consciences shall tell them, they go directly against their light, I say, except we can come thus, we cannot prevail with men's hearts, when the sway of a Kingdom goes another way. And there are many truths of God that concerns his worship, that cannot be made so clear but that a man may have such a diversion to satisfy his conscience in this, that I in going another way, do not go against my conscience; God would have us, that what is most likely to be his mind that way to go, without any consideration of any outward respects. Now if there be a temptation for outward respects that they will come into the balance, do but turn the balance; and suppose in your own heart that all outward respects were in the other balance, that all the mighty men were of the other way, what would your hearts think? In Revelation 13:3, that when power and authority was given to Antichrist, the whole world wondered after her. So it is ordinary, that way that the mighty men go, that way men's hearts will generally go. Oh! the little honor that Jesus Christ has by us! Our hearts are swayed for the most part by carnal arguments, and carnal motives.

Again, they trust in their way and in the multitude of their mighty men.

Great armies are the things that are the confidence of carnal hearts: when they can get a great army up of a multitude of mighty men, let there be never such threats in the Word, yet if they think they have strength enough to bear them out, they bless themselves in that. Oh! let us take heed of this carnal confidence: through God's mercy the Lord has given us now, that we have the multitude of mighty men on our side, let us take heed that our faith do not ebb and flow as our armies do. And I will give you one Scripture that shows how far a gracious heart is from making flesh his arm, Cursed is that man (you know the Scripture) that makes flesh his arm. But an example of a godly man to show how far he was from trusting in an army of mighty men, in (2 Chronicles 14:11), It is nothing (says Asa) with you to help with many, or with them that have no power. Why Lord, though we have no power, yet you can help us. Why did Asa speak thus? Had he no power? You shall find in the chapter a little before, that Asa had five hundred and fourscore thousand valiant fighting men, almost six hundred thousand valiant men that he had at that time when he is pleading with God, Lord you can save where there is no power. We account it a great army, if we have twenty, or thirty, or forty thousand men; he has almost six hundred thousand men, and yet goes to God and prays, Lord, you can help where there is no power.

And yet further from the connexion of these two.

Their way in which they trusted.] That is, the way of religion, they thought that was good; but had they had nothing else to trust in but that, their trust would not have been very sure.

From there the note is this: those who trust to any way of their own had need of creature strengths to uphold them. It is a note of very great use — they had need of bladders to be under their arm-holes, if they trust in a way of their own. But now if the way be the way of God that a man has confidence in, why then though all outward helps should fail him, though all encouragements should fail in this world, though we should see the creatures at never so great a distance, yet the heart that has confidence in God's way has enough to uphold it. Here is the difference between men trusting in their own way, and in God's way. Indeed when men trust in their own way so long as the sun shines upon their way, that they have external helps, they can go on confident, but let outward helps fail, and their hearts sink within them.

But now when the heart is upright with God, and trusts in the Word, and promises, then it is able to say with Habakkuk, in Habakkuk 3:17, that though the fig-tree shall not blossom, neither the fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive should fail, and the field should yield no meat, the flock should be cut off from the fold, and there should be no herd in the stalls; yet they will rejoice in the Lord, and joy in the God of their salvation. Let heaven and earth meet [illegible]ether, whatever becomes of armies, and of the policies of men, of friends, and all outward respects; yet I will bless myself in the Lord, and bless the time that ever I knew God, and his ways, my heart yet is confident it is the way of God, and I can venture my state upon it, and my liberty, and my life and soul upon this way; let all things seem to be under a cloud and never so dismal, yet my heart is steady, and is fixed in this way of God that the Lord God graciously has drawn my heart into.

Oh! this is an excellent thing. Examine your hearts in that; when at any time you have seen things go very cross, yet then whether you have not had your hearts to shake.

I remember it is an observation that one has about John Baptist. After he was cast into prison, he sends two of his disciples to know whether Christ were the Messiah, or no: they think that though before he was cast into prison he did know that he was so; Behold the Lamb of God! but when once he came to sufferings, some think that there was some shaking of his spirit. So it is many times with men, that when they begin to set upon a way and things do somewhat shine upon them, and they have some encouragements outwardly, then they go on, and are persuaded that it is a right way; but when things fall cross, that they are like to suffer in that way, and the hearts of men are against it, and they are like to meet with more evils than ever they made account of, then they begin to call things into question, And is this the right way? Oh! it is a sign that there was much failing in your heart (at first) when in the time of outward afflictions you come to call into question whether it be the way of God, yes or no. It follows.