518 A REFORMATION SERMON. is still stretched out against the enemies of heaven at home and abroad ; and we have still reason to believe, that it is lifted up in addresses to heaven by faith and prayer, that all the adversaries of the Lord may be over- come. O may her life be precious in the sight of the Lord, and guarded by the angel of the covenant, as the life of Moses was ! May her days be many, as the days of 1Vloses ! Deut. xxxiv. 7. May her eye never grown dim to the true interest of our Israel, nor her natural force and resolution to fight the battles of the Lord be ever abated ! Aaron is the next person mentioned here, Aaron the High- priest, though, perhaps he was not at this time invested with that office, yet being designed for it, we may take him now under this character; he was to assist Moses in bearing up his hand on the one side, as Hur on the other . We have also the ministers of the gospel in our age attending this holy warfare : Those whom the favour of her majesty hath advanced near to her royal person support her hands in this design, encourage her zeal to lift up this standard against sin, and assist her to pray for victory : Nor are these who lie at a distance from the throne, but still within the verge and shadow of its protection, less zealous in their assistance of the war, or less fervent in pleading withGod for success. O may our Aarons never grow weary of encouraging thework of reformation, and giving their utmost aid to the pious de- sign of our supreme magistrate ! May they still revive and quicken the languishing diligence of all that have engaged in the same cause ! And wheresoever men are joined in societies, to build the house of God, or to de- molish the houses of Satan, there let it be always said, that " with them are the prophets of God helping them ;" Ezra v. 2. Hur follows the mention of Aaron, and his post is to support the other hand of Moses against Amalek : His character seems to be a prudent man, and a considerable counsellor; Ex. xxiv. 14. when Moses left the camp of Israel for a season, " behold," saith he to the people, " Aaron and Hur are with you ; if any man have any matters to do, let him come unto them." The rod of power lifted up by the civil magistrate must be well ma- naged by the hand of zeal, and the band of prudence.
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