Page:Worm Jacob threshing the mountains (2).pdf/9

Rh 2. A surprising success, even as surprising as a worm threshing and beating the mountains small to dust, and then threshing them away.——Such will be the issue of the encounters which the people of God now have with their difficulties in their way through the world, for which the text is plain.——We take it up in these two. They will have.

First, Patriarchal success in their way, very surprising to others and to themselves, Psal. lxxvi. 1, 2. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.—Then was our mouth filed with laughter and our tongues with singing; then said they among the Heathen, the Lord hath done great things for them.—What mountains of difficulties were in David’s way to the kingdom, he threshed long at them, and they never appeared to give way; nay, I shall perish by the hand of Saul—But see the surprising success, Psal. xvii. entitled, a psalm of David, in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. Wherein, after recapitulating the various difficulties he had to encounter with, he particularly mentions the happy deliverance he met with, and the surprising manner of the same.—Some mountains God’s people are kept threshing at all their days, especially the mountain of corruption, and they never fall quite down till dead.—But as a pledge for the time to come, God makes now and then some mountains to fall down before the worm Jacob, wherewith he is surprised and transported with wonder how it came to pass.——Mark xvi. 4. 5. And when they looked they saw the stone was rolled away:———and they were affrighted.

Secondly, A total success at the end of their ways, which will swallow them up in surprise and eternal wonder—1 John iii 2. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that when he shall appear we shall be like him: for we shall see him as he is.—When the mystery is finished, and the web cut out, it will appear an rable