: it is to do or suffer such a thing to be done or undone: the other reason is, to open unto him what good help and encouraging there is to set it forward. The shame was great, that for their great sin and disobedience God's people, who cracked so much of their good God, should live in such slavery under infidels, as though their God could not or would not deliver them. The hope to prosper well in this building was great, for that both God and the king had shewed great tokens of their good wills for the furtherance of this good work. Both these kinds of persuasions he useth here: his words be not many, but effectual. For as the shame was, to lose their city, so the glory should be greater in recovering it and wise men use and love few words; for either those will serve good men, or more will not. The woeful sight of those broken walls, and this miserable slavery of the people in it, were sufficient to move a stony heart to pity, though never a word were spoken by any man: but those weighty reasons, well considered, made them all to fall to work with great courage. What man had so little feeling of God and honesty, that would not help to build God's city and their own country? Those that love to hear themselves talk, and with many words to colour their ill meaning, may here learn how a simple truth, plainly told in few words, worketh more in good men's hearts, than a fair painted tale that hath little truth and less good meaning in it. An honest matter speaketh for itself, and needeth no colouring; and he that useth most flattering and subtle words, maketh wise men mistrust the matter to be ill. A few words well placed are much better than a long unsavoury tale. 18. And I told them. After that Nehemiah had briefly set afore them the misery they lived in, the cruel destruction of Jerusalem, which God chose for himself to dwell in, and what shame it was for them, not to recover by well doing that which their fathers for their wickedness lost; he now declareth unto them, as a full reason to persuade any man that would be persuaded, and saith, "both the hand of his God was gracious toward him in this enterprise, and the king's words were very comfortable." When a man hath both God and the king of his side, what needeth he more? who can hurt him? what should he doubt or be afraid of? what would he have further? God had given him such a favour in the king's sight, that as soon as he asked licence to go and build the city, where his fathers lay buried, it was granted; and the liberality and good will of the king was so great, that he granted him both soldiers, safely to conduct him to Jerusalem, and also commission to his officers for timber to this great building. What should they mistrust or doubt of now? There wanted nothing but a good will and courage on their side: if they would rise and work lustily, no doubt the work would be finished speedily. Nehemiah still calleth him his God, as though God heard his prayer only, and moved the king's heart to give him licence to build this city, which many, divers times, had wished and laboured for, and could not get it. He thought this to be so great a blessing of God, that he can never be thankful enough for it, and therefore calleth him his God. He that loveth his God earnestly, rejoiceth in nothing so much as when he seeth those things prosper, whereby God's glory may be shewed forth. He careth more for that, than for his own pleasure and profit. And when such things go backward, it grieveth him more than any worldly loss that can fall unto himself. And though some wavering worldlings may say, the king might die, or change his good will from them; and God many times, when he hath given a good beginning for a while, yet in the end he cutteth it off; and by this means discourage other from this work, and will them not to meddle; the time might change, and then they might be blamed; and Nehemiah, although he was in great favour with the king at this present, yet, being absent long from the court, might soon be forgotten; others, that bare him no good will, might creep in favour and bring him into displeasure, (for in the court commonly, out of sight, out of mind;) these and such other reasons would soon withdraw dissemblers from their good furtherance of this work; yet God so wrought with them all, that they all boldly took this work in hand and finished it. God, of his great goodness, for the better exercising of our faith hath thus ordered the course of things, that although, when we look into the world, we shall find many things to withdraw us from doing our duties to his majesty, yet by his Holy Spirit he hath given us faith and hope of his promised good Gen. xii. Heb. xi. ness, that nothing should discourage us from doing our duties : for we have him on our side that hath all things at his commandment, and whose purpose none can withstand. Let the world therefore waver never so much; let it threaten never such cruelty; let it counsel and persuade as craftily as it can, to meddle in no such matters of God: yet good men cannot be quiet, until they have shewed their good will, to the uttermost of their power, for the furtherance of God's work and obedience of his will. Abraham, when he was bidden to leave his country and kinsfolk, and go into that place that God would shew him, might have many reasons to stay him: as, that he could not tell how to live when he came there, that he should want the comfort of his friends, live amongst strangers, and those that would rather hurt him than help him: yet none of these could stay him, but he would follow whither the Lord would lead. God Gen. xxii. bade him sacrifice his son Isaac, having no issue, and yet promised him that "in his seed all nations should be blessed." Abraham could not tell how these two should stand together, both to kill his son and to have issue of him: yet he doubted not in faith but, rather than his promise should not be true, God would raise him from death, to beget and raise up seed Gen. xxii. after him. after him. When Isaac, going to be sacrificed, asked his father where the sacrifice was that should be killed, (for he had the wood on his back and the fire in his hand,) Abraham, not doubting, though not knowing how, where, nor when it should be done, said, "God will provide himself a sacrifice, my son;" and proceeded to sacrifice his son, until the angel stayed him, and shewed him a ram in the bushes, which he should offer unto the Lord instead of his son. The apostles, when our Saviour Jesus Christ sent them out to preach without bag or wallet, money, or staff, made no question how they should live, or defend themselves against so many enemies, or how they should teach others, that never went to school themselves to learn; but obeying his commandment, and believing his promise, went forth boldly, and did their message diligently, and God blessed their doings wonderfully. When they came again unto him, and told him how well they had sped, he asked them whether they wanted any thing by the Luke xxii. way, while they were in his service? and they said, Nay. Thus good men will not be withdrawn from serving their God, though many worldly reasons might withdraw them: and God will so increase their faith to go forward, that nothing shall discourage them. They will rather stick to God's promise than any cunning practice of man. A good beginning is a great reason to persuade a man that God will give good success unto the end. David comforteth himself to kill Goliath, 1 Sam. xvii. because he killed a lion and a bear when he was young, keeping sheep. God never doeth any thing in vain; but when his faithful servants take things in hand of mere love and duty to further his glory, he ever bringeth it to good effect. The good success that God hath given us afore, should persuade us that he will give us more. Hypocrites, faint-hearted soldiers, double-dealers, and those that be not grounded upon a sure faith and hope of his promised goodness, oft fail of their purpose through their own default. God hath promised nothing to such dissemblers, and those that trust him he never faileth, Let all those therefore, that fear the Lord unfeignedly, boldly begin the Lord's work, continue it stedfastly, look for the mighty furtherance of the same faithfully; and no doubt they shall have it.. Who ever to this day trusted in the Lord in vain, but he had good success in his doings? Let no man mistrust God's goodness to further those good things that he taketh in hand: let us work diligently, and commit the success unto him boldly; no doubt he will bring it to good pass. When they had well considered Nehemiah's words and his good counsel, they cast all perils away, and said, "Let us rise and build those decayed walls." Let us linger no longer, but speedily fall to labour, and recover that with our diligence that our fathers lost by disobedience. Now they buskle and bowne' themselves to this work; they spit on their hands, and take better hold than afore; they buckle themselves to labour with courage, not to be driven from it any more. So much can a few words spoken in the fear of God uprightly by some man at some times do, that cannot be gotten at other times by many persuasions. Aggeus, when they had lain many years on sleep, forgetting the building of God's house, with like few words so encouraged them to [ Buskle, the same as busk, prepare. Bowne I cannot explain. ED.] 23 [PILKINGTON.] work, that they finished the temple in four years, which afore had lain almost forty years unlooked at. So can God make them earnest in a short time, when pleaseth him, which afore had been cold and negligent. And this courage that they gather now came rather by gentle persuasions than by fearful threatenings: for good natures are moved rather with the glad tidings of the gospel than sharpness of the law. The law threateneth correction, the gospel promiseth blessings: the law killeth, the gospel quickeneth the law breedeth fear, the gospel bringeth love: the law casteth down, the gospel reareth us up: the law layeth our sin to our charge; the gospel saith, Christ hath paid the price for our reconciliation. A gentle kind of preaching is better to win weak minds, than terrible thundering of vengeance. Yet is the law most necessary to be taught, to pull down froward hearts, and bring them to knowledge of themselves. I see divers of the prophets terribly threaten the wickedness of their time; yet I see none of them, that doth so mightily dissuade them from their ungodly life, as Aggeus and Nehemiah with their mild dealing bring so many to repentance. Both be good and necessary; but the gospel more comfortable, and the law fearful. Fear maketh a man many times to fly from ill, but love maketh him willingly to do Cant. viii. good. Salomon saith, "Love is as strong as death:" for Rom. viii. as all things yield unto death, so nothing is too hard or painful for him that loveth, but he will adventure at all perils, until he get the thing that he loveth. St Paul saith, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ Jesus? Shall trouble, anguish, persecution, hunger, nakedness, jeopardy, or the sword?" If thou wouldst have a man earnest in any thing, rather draw him to it by love, than drive him to it by fear: bring him once to love it earnestly, and nothing shall make him afraid to stand to it manfully. Fear maketh men cold, discourageth them, and many times turneth them to hatred. That preacher therefore, which will win most unto God, shall rather do it by gentleness than by sharpness, by promise than by threatenings, by the gospel than by the law, by love than by fear: though the law must be interlaced to throw down the malice of man's heart; the flesh must be bridled by fear, and the spirit comforted with |
