Good Witnesses for God
W. Attersoll. Numbers 13:30 And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. I. GOD HATH EVER HAD SOME WITNESSES OF HIS TRUTH Nicodemus. Joseph of Arimathea. And how can it be otherwise, for the truth shall never decay from the earth, but be spread abroad from place to place, and from generation to generation for ever (Psalm 119:89). We perish, for all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is as the flower of the field, but the word of the Lord abideth for ever (1 Peter 1:24). God will have this never to die, never to wither. He hath the hearts of all men in His own hand, to turn them at His pleasure (Acts 9:15). So saith Christ, "I tell you if these should hold their peace, the stones would cry" (Luke 19:40), and therefore He can never be without some witness to maintain His truth. 1. This teacheth us that God is most glorious and powerful, and will be known in the earth (Psalm 8:1, 2; Matthew 21:15; Acts 14:17). 2. Great is His truth and prevaileth; He hath always had a Church upon the face of the earth, and He never forsaketh it, though multitudes conspire against it, it shall have the upper hand at last. 3. Be not discouraged when the truth is oppressed, because God is able to maintain it, and raiseth up His enemies oftentimes to defend it. 4. This should persuade every one of us how to carry ourselves, namely, that we should not take any approbation or liking of the evil of other, neither ought we to imitate any in sin, how holy soever they seem to be, neither give consent to them by our practice, forasmuch as God's hand hath overtaken them at one time or other. II. THE EVIL OF OTHERS, YEA, ALTHOUGH THEY BE MANY, MAY NOT RE FOLLOWED OF US. The reasons. 1. Whatsoever is in itself evil cannot be made good and lawful by any example, nor by many examples. It cannot be warranted by the law of man, much less by the pure law of God Himself. 2. No greatness, no multitude can save a man from judgments due to the least sin; for though hand join in hand, the wicked shall not go unpunished (Proverbs 5; Proverbs 11:21). This serveth to reprove many carnal and formal Christians that oftentimes encourage themselves in evil, and strengthen themselves by the example of others. 3. We may gather from hence a reproof of ignorant recusants grounding only upon their forefathers; such as can give no other reason of their religion but that they were born and bred in it (Psalm 78:8). III. IT IS THE DUTY: OF GOD'S CHILDREN TO EXHORT AND STIR UP ONE ANOTHER TO GOOD THINGS. And that for divers reasons. 1. We are quickly hardened in sin. We are quickly dull to all good; exhortation made by others setteth an edge upon us, and putteth life into us (Proverbs 27:17). 2. Such as continue to the end are made partakers of Christ, and with Him of all other graces; this ought to provoke us to practise this duty, the rather seeing so great fruit cometh by it, the blessing of all blessings, Christ Jesus is made ours (Hebrews 3:13, 14). 3. We have other reasons used by the same apostle (Hebrews 10:25, 26). Fearful judgments remain for all backsliders. 4. The day of the Lord draweth near, and we must take heed that it take us not unprepared; we must therefore stir up ourselves and others to look for it and to long after it. Lastly, we see evil men do it in evil and to evil. They labour by all means to make others as bad as themselves. This also we see in this place, much more therefore ought we to teach and instruct one another, and be helpers to the most holy faith one of another. (W. Attersoll.) Parallel Verses KJV: And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it. WEB: Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, "Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it."