<!DOCTYPE ETS PUBLIC "-//UMDLPS//DTD EEBOPROOF 2.0//EN">
<ETS>
<TEMPHEAD>
<REVDESCR>
<CHANGE>
<DATE>2013-08-15</DATE>
<RESPSTMT>
<NAME>Olivia Bottum</NAME>
<RESP>MURP</RESP>
</RESPSTMT>
<ITEM>Proofed text and corrected markup.</ITEM>
</CHANGE>
</REVDESCR>
</TEMPHEAD>
<EEBO>
<IDG S="marc" R="UM" ID="A80047">
<STC T="W">C492</STC>
<STC T="T">E540_24</STC>
<STC T="C">R205775</STC>
<BIBNO T="umi">99865056</BIBNO>
<VID>117291</VID>
</IDG>
<TEXT LANG="eng">
<FRONT>
<DIV1 TYPE="title page">
<PB REF="1" MS="y">
<P>GODS VVISDOM JUSTIFIED, AND MANS FOLLY CONDEMNED, Touching all maner of Outward <HI>Providential Admini&s;trations,</HI> IN A SERMON PREACHED Before the Honorable Hou&s;e of COMMONS, <HI>Ian.</HI> 31. 1648.</P>
<P>By <HI>John Cardell.</HI></P>
<Q><BIBL><HI>Matth. 11.19.</HI></BIBL> Wi&s;dom is ju&s;tified of her children.</Q>
<P><HI>LONDON:</HI> Printed by <HI>John Field</HI> for <HI>Henry Cripps,</HI> and are to be &s;old in Popes-head-Alley. 1649.</P>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 LANG="lat" TYPE="note">
<PB REF="2">
<PB REF="2">
<HEAD>HONORATISSIMO CELEBER RIMO QUE SENATUI DOMUI COMMUNIUM IN SALUTEM REI-PUBLICAE ANGLICANAE FOELICITER IN PARLIAMENTO CONGREGATAE.</HEAD>
<P>Concionem hanc &s;uam Public&acirc; Jejunii &s;olennitate nuper habitam, Exile quidem &amp; perexiguunt, obedientiae tamen &s;uae &amp; ob&s;ervan|tiae Te&s;timonium, D.D.D.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>JOHAN: CARDELL.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
<DIV1 TYPE="order">
<PB REF="3">
<HEAD>Die Mercurii, <HI>31</HI> Ianuarii, <HI>1648.</HI></HEAD>
<P>ORdered by the Commons a&s;|&s;embled in Parliament, That Mr. <HI>Millington</HI> do give the Thanks of this Hou&s;e to Mr. <HI>Cardell,</HI> for his great pains in his Sermon preached before this Hou&s;e this day; and that he be de&s;ired to print his Sermon, wherein he is to have the like privi|ledge of printing it, as others in like kinde have u&s;ually had.</P>
<CLOSER><SIGNED>Hen: Scobell, Cleric. Parl. Dom. Com.</SIGNED></CLOSER>
</DIV1>
</FRONT>
<BODY>
<DIV1 TYPE="text">
<PB N="1" REF="3" MS="y">
<HEAD>GODS VVISDOM JUSTIFIED, AND MANS FOLLY CONDEMNED, Touching all maner of outward Provi|dential Admini&s;trations: In a Sermon Preached at the late Fa&s;t before the Commons Hou&s;e of PARLIAMENT.</HEAD>
<EPIGRAPH>
<Q><BIBL><HI>PSAL. 73.21, 22, 23.</HI></BIBL>
<P><BIBL><HI>21</HI></BIBL> Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>22</HI></BIBL> So fooli&s;h was I, and ignorant: I was as a bea&s;t before thee.</P>
<P><BIBL><HI>23</HI></BIBL> Neverthele&s;s, I am continually with thee: thou ha&s;t holden me by my right hand.</P></Q>
</EPIGRAPH>
<P>_THis P&s;alm (<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">De P&s;almi authore non auxt&egrave; di&s;puto, quanquam mihi veri&s;imile e&s;t, quia ejus canen di Provincia mandata fuerit ip&s;i A&s;aph, Nomen ejus Poni, praeterito Da|vidis nomine, &s;icuti res per &s;e notae &s;aepe taceri &s;olent. <HI>Calv. in Loc.</HI></NOTE> compo&s;ed by <HI>David</HI> for <HI>A&s;aph</HI>) contains a <HI>Declaration</HI> of <HI>Da|vids</HI> being under a very &s;ore and grie|vous <HI>Temptation;</HI> together with the way or means of his <HI>deliverance</HI> from that <HI>Temptation.</HI></P>
<PB REF="4">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="1" REF="4">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="1" REF="5">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">David tempt|ed, and upon what ground.</NOTE>The <HI>Temptation</HI> it &s;elf <HI>aro&s;e</HI> from the great <HI>Pro|&s;perity</HI> that he &s;aw among&s;t <HI>wicked</HI> men; for &s;o he &s;ays at the 3. <HI>ver. I was envious at the fooli&s;h, when I &s;aw the pro&s;perity of the wicked: for there are no bands in their death; but their &s;trength is firm: They are not in trouble, as other men; neither are they plagued like other men, &amp;c.</HI> v. 4, 5.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The greatne&s;s and danger of the Tempta|tion.</NOTE>Upon this <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> he was &s;o mightily <HI>perplexed</HI> and <HI>troubled,</HI> and &s;o exceeding hard <HI>put to it,</HI> that he was even <HI>almo&s;t</HI> quite lo&s;t: <HI>My feet were almo&s;t gone,</HI> &s;ays he,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 2.</NOTE> <HI>my foot&s;teps had well-nigh &s;lipt;</HI> I was even ready to &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver. 13.</NOTE> <HI>Verily, I have clean&s;ed my heart in vain. and wa&s;hed my hands in innocency.</HI> This was the &s;ore <HI>Temptation</HI> that the P&s;almi&s;t was here under.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">The way of his deliverance from the Tem|ptation, two ways pro|pounded.</NOTE>The <HI>way</HI> or <HI>means</HI> whereby he did <HI>recover</HI> him|&s;elf from under this <HI>Temptation,</HI> that's here <HI>pro|pounded,</HI> or &s;et down two <HI>ways;</HI> 1. More <HI>generally,</HI> and then more <HI>particularly.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. More general|ly, ver. 16, 17.</NOTE>More generally in the 16 and 17 <HI>ver&s;es;</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> <HI>I thought to know this, &amp;c.</HI> that is, when I tho<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="3 letters"> to out wra&s;tle this <HI>Temptation,</HI> to unfold this <HI>my&s;te|ry,</HI> concerning the <HI>pro&s;perity</HI> of the wicked, and the <HI>adver&s;ity</HI> of the godly, by my own <HI>&s;trength,</HI> I could not do it, &s;ays he, <HI>It was too painful for me, until I went into the Sanctuary of God;</HI> and then I clearly &s;aw the end of the&s;e men, and how God is plea&s;ed to <HI>&s;et them</HI> for a while in <HI>&s;lippery places, &amp;c.</HI> This he lays down in the general.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. More particu|larly in the&punc; Text.</NOTE><HI>But then in the words of the Text,</HI> he tells us more <HI>particularly</HI> of his <HI>Trouble,</HI> and of the <HI>way</HI> or <HI>means</HI> whereby he came to <HI>relieve</HI> him&s;elf; <HI>Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins: So fooli&s;h was I, and ignorant; I was as a bea&s;t before
<PB REF="5">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="1" REF="6">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB REF="6">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB REF="7">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="3" REF="7"> thee: Neverthele&s;s, I am continually with thee; thou ha&s;t holden me by my right hand.</HI></P>
<P>In which words you have three things notable:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Wherein three parts.</NOTE>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Davids</HI> trouble.</ITEM>
<ITEM>2. The <HI>ground</HI> of his trouble: and</ITEM>
<ITEM>3. The <HI>relief</HI> that he had again&s;t his trouble.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P>His <HI>trouble</HI> in the fir&s;t words of the Text,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Davids</HI> trouble.</NOTE> <HI>Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins.</HI></P>
<P>The <HI>ground</HI> of his trouble in the next words,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. The <HI>ground</HI> of his trouble.</NOTE> <HI>So fooli&s;h was I, and ignorant; I was as a bea&s;t before thee.</HI></P>
<P>And then the <HI>relief</HI> that he had again&s;t his trou|ble,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. His <HI>relief</HI> again&s;t it.</NOTE> that follows in the la&s;t words, <HI>Neverthele&s;s, I am continually with thee; thou ha&s;t holden me by my right hand.</HI></P>
<P><HI>To begin fir&s;t with the trouble</HI> that was here upon <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> &s;pirit, <HI>My heart was grieved,</HI> &s;ays he,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. Of <HI>Davids</HI> trouble, toge|ther with that which did at the fir&s;t occa|&s;ion it.</NOTE> <HI>and I was pricked in my reins:</HI> But upon what <HI>occa&s;ion?</HI> What was it that troubled him on this maner, but his poring too much upon the outward pro&s;perity of wicked men? And from thence ye may ob&s;erve, <Q><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Doctr."> That Temptations ari&s;ing from outward worldly oc|ca&s;ions, may very dangerou&s;ly &s;eize upon the &s;pi|rit of a godly man.</Q></P>
<P>As here ye &s;ee, that which <HI>troubled</HI> the &s;pirit of <HI>David,</HI> and that went to the very <HI>heart</HI> of him; that which <HI>pricked him in his reins,</HI> it was not any <HI>in|ward trouble</HI> about his own <HI>e&s;tate</HI> and <HI>condition,</HI> or any thing that did any way re&s;pect, the <HI>good of his &s;oul;</HI> but it was <HI>&s;omething</HI> from without that did it: The outward <HI>Pro&s;perity</HI> of wicked men was that which <HI>dazled</HI> his eyes, and that which <HI>occa&s;ioned</HI> all this trouble to him.</P>
<PB N="4" REF="8">
<P><MILESTONE UNIT="U&s;e."> I &s;hall not &s;tay upon this, onely make <HI>this U&s;e</HI> of it, and &s;o <HI>proceed</HI> unto that which <HI>follows,</HI> as that which I mainly <HI>intend.</HI></P>
<P>Becau&s;e we are &s;o apt to be <HI>en&s;nared</HI> by outward worldly <HI>objects,</HI> therefore we &s;hould <HI>take heed</HI> of giving our &s;elves too much <HI>liberty</HI> that way, to <HI>gaze</HI> upon every vain fooli&s;h <HI>object</HI> that <HI>pre&s;ents</HI> it &s;elf un|to us.</P>
<P>E&s;pecially our <HI>care</HI> &s;hould be, to keep our <HI>hearts</HI> and our <HI>affections</HI> at a due di&s;tance <HI>from the things of the world;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>P&s;al. 62.10.</HI> Abraham Di|ves, Dives Job, David Dives, &amp; quid Abra|ham beatius? Quid Job fortius? Quid David &s;anctius? <HI>Chry. fol. Serm. 28.</HI></NOTE> and not think our &s;elves ever the <HI>better,</HI> becau&s;e we <HI>have them,</HI> or ever the <HI>wor&s;e,</HI> becau&s;e we <HI>want them,</HI> by rea&s;on of that extreme <HI>vanity</HI> or <HI>emptine&s;s</HI> that is in them.</P>
<P>Its a <HI>dangerous</HI> thing to <HI>plod</HI> too much, to <HI>pore</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> vehemently upon <HI>earthly things:</HI> How many men have been <HI>undone</HI> that way, by <HI>looking</HI> too much after <HI>worldly Profits,</HI> and <HI>worldly Plea&s;ures,</HI> and <HI>world|ly Preferments,</HI> and by fanta&s;tical <HI>imaginations</HI> of a greater <HI>Happine&s;s</HI> in the&s;e things, then is to be <HI>found</HI> in them?</P>
<P>Ye &s;ee <HI>David</HI> here, a <HI>choyce</HI> man, a man of an <HI>ex|cellent &s;pirit,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Sam. 13.15.</NOTE> the man <HI>after Gods own heart,</HI> when once he was <HI>engaged</HI> upon this <HI>&s;tudy,</HI> what ado he had to <HI>winde</HI> him&s;elf off again; and though he did <HI>get off</HI> at the la&s;t, yet ye &s;ee how <HI>near</HI> he was to a <HI>fall,</HI> what a deal of <HI>trouble</HI> it co&s;t him, and what a <HI>mighty &s;torm</HI> it brought upon his &s;pirit, before he <HI>could get off:</HI> Therefore I &s;ay, Let us be <HI>&s;ure</HI> never to <HI>meddle,</HI> never to <HI>engage</HI> upon earthly <HI>&s;tudies</HI> and <HI>contemplations,</HI> without being &s;ufficiently <HI>fenced</HI> and <HI>armed</HI> aforehand, with very <HI>Spiritual</HI> and heavenly <HI>con&s;iderations.</HI> And thus much briefly concerning
<PB N="5" REF="8"> <HI>Davids</HI> trouble here, together with that which did at the fir&s;t <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> it, namely, The outward <HI>Pro&s;pe|rity</HI> of wicked men.</P>
<P><HI>From this remote cau&s;e of his trouble,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The neare&s;t cau&s;e of <HI>Da|vids</HI> trouble.</NOTE> let us in the next place come to <HI>con&s;ider</HI> of that which the Text here <HI>mentions</HI> as the <HI>neare&s;t cau&s;e</HI> of it; <HI>Thus my heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins: So fooli&s;h was I, and ignorant; I was as a bea&s;t before thee.</HI> Ye &s;ee <HI>David</HI> here lays him&s;elf very <HI>low</HI> be|fore the Lord,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Note.</NOTE> and <HI>&s;o have the &s;ervants of God been always wont to do, upon the di&s;covery of their failings:</HI> But I pa&s;s that al&s;o. And from <HI>Davids acknowledge|ment</HI> here of his own <HI>ignorance,</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> and <HI>bruit|i&s;hne&s;s,</HI> to have been the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> of all that <HI>trouble</HI> that was upon his <HI>&s;pirit,</HI> you may ob&s;erve from thence in the next place, <Q><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Doctr."> That in difficult ca&s;es about Divine and heavenly Di&s;pen&s;ations, it is meerly our own ignorance and folly that troubles us, and that frequently cau&s;es us to mi&s;carry.</Q></P>
<P>And therefore <HI>David</HI> lays all the <HI>blame</HI> upon him&s;elf here, he does not any way <HI>accu&s;e</HI> God,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Clear from the Text.</NOTE> or <HI>charge him fooli&s;hly,</HI> as the <HI>maner</HI> of too many is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob. 1.23.</NOTE> in &s;uch like <HI>ca&s;es;</HI> but he does <HI>accu&s;e</HI> him&s;elf, and <HI>condemn</HI> him&s;elf of too much <HI>ignorance,</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> and <HI>weakne&s;s,</HI> that he &s;hould be &s;o <HI>mightily</HI> puzled, and &s;o <HI>exce&s;sively</HI> troubled about &s;uch a <HI>poor thing</HI> as this, The outward <HI>Pro&s;perity</HI> of ungodly men: And it mu&s;t needs be &s;o, that it is <HI>nothing el&s;e,</HI> but our own <HI>ignorance,</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> that troubles us in <HI>ca&s;es</HI> of difficulty about <HI>Providential Admini&s;tra|tions.</HI></P>
<P><HI>Becau&s;e</HI> we may be <HI>&s;ure</HI> of this,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The rea&s;on of it.</NOTE> That <HI>God</HI> cannot
<PB N="6" REF="9"> be <HI>unmindeful</HI> of his <HI>Covenant</HI> with, or of his <HI>&s;eve|ral Promi&s;es</HI> and <HI>Engagements</HI> unto his own <HI>People:</HI> This is as <HI>&s;ure,</HI> as that which is <HI>mo&s;t &s;ure,</HI> and as <HI>clear,</HI> as that which is <HI>mo&s;t clear,</HI> That <HI>God</HI> will cer|tainly <HI>order</HI> all the great <HI>Affairs</HI> of the <HI>world</HI> in that <HI>way,</HI> which may chiefly <HI>tend</HI> unto the <HI>advancement</HI> of his own <HI>Glory,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 16.4. Rom. 8.28.</NOTE> and the good of his <HI>own People;</HI> and therefore though this pre&s;ent <HI>Temptation</HI> here had ca&s;t <HI>David</HI> into a very <HI>&s;ad di&s;temper,</HI> and berea|ved <HI>him</HI> for a while of his <HI>right under&s;tanding,</HI> yet as &s;oon as ever he had <HI>recovered</HI> him&s;elf <HI>again,</HI> he <HI>pre|&s;ently</HI> &s;tarts up, and the <HI>fir&s;t words</HI> he &s;peaks <HI>are the&s;e, Yet God is good to I&s;rael,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 1.</NOTE> <HI>and to &s;uch as are of a clean heart before him;</HI> as if he &s;hould have &s;aid, Though I in my <HI>fooli&s;h di&s;temper</HI> was apt to <HI>think</HI> otherwi&s;e, and to <HI>&s;peak</HI> otherwi&s;e; though I was ready to &s;ay, That <HI>God</HI> dealt <HI>hardly</HI> with his own <HI>People,</HI> in keep|ing them <HI>low,</HI> and in <HI>&s;etting up the right hand of their Adver&s;aries;</HI> yet, Now that I am <HI>come to my &s;elf</HI> again, and, Now that I have been in the <HI>San|ctuary of God,</HI> to be <HI>taught</HI> there, and to be <HI>in&s;truct|ed</HI> there, now I <HI>perceive,</HI> That this may be done without any the lea&s;t <HI>impeachment</HI> or violation of <HI>Heavenly goodne&s;s:</HI> And &s;o from divers other <HI>in|&s;tances,</HI> and by divers other <HI>Arguments,</HI> I might <HI>ea&s;ily</HI> make it <HI>evident,</HI> That <HI>nothing</HI> in <HI>God,</HI> or from <HI>God,</HI> can ju&s;tly <HI>occa&s;ion</HI> any <HI>trouble</HI> or <HI>grief of heart</HI> to tho&s;e that are his <HI>People.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ten &s;everal Ca&s;es, wherein our own igno|rance and folly di&s;covers it &s;elf about Provi|dential Admi|ni&s;trations.</NOTE>But yet notwith&s;tanding there are ten <HI>&s;pecial Ca&s;es,</HI> wherein our own <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> does either cau&s;e <HI>mi&s;carriages,</HI> or el&s;e groundle&s;ly occa&s;ion very much <HI>&s;orrow,</HI> and <HI>trouble,</HI> and <HI>grief</HI> of <HI>heart</HI> un|to us about <HI>Divine</HI> and <HI>Heavenly Di&s;pen&s;ations.</HI></P>
<PB N="7" REF="9">
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Fir&s;t, in <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> of <HI>outward Pro&s;perity,</HI> wee'll begin with that <HI>fir&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of outward pro&s;perity propounded. Iob 10.3. and 29.6.</NOTE> becau&s;e that's the <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> of the <HI>Text</HI> here. When we &s;ee God at any time <HI>&s;hining</HI> upon the <HI>Councels of the wicked,</HI> and <HI>wa&s;hing their &s;teps with butter,</HI> as <HI>Job</HI> &s;peaks of him&s;elf; when we &s;ee <HI>God</HI> ca&s;ting a great deal of <HI>Wealth,</HI> and <HI>Honor,</HI> and &s;ecular <HI>Preferment</HI> upon them, and in the mean time <HI>denying</HI> &s;uch things unto his own <HI>People,</HI> this we are apt to <HI>&s;tumble</HI> at, and to be <HI>offended</HI> by <HI>rea&s;on of it,</HI> and to <HI>think</HI> that <HI>God</HI> is herein more <HI>kinde</HI> to others, and more <HI>indulgent</HI> over them, then over his <HI>own People.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Davids</HI> Ca&s;e here</NOTE> This was the ground of <HI>Davids</HI> trouble here in this P&s;alm; at the 12 <HI>ver.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 12.</NOTE> <HI>The ungodly they pro&s;per in the world, and they increa&s;e in riches: They are not in trouble, as other men;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 5.</NOTE> <HI>neither are they plagued like other men:</HI> But &s;ays he, <HI>As for my part, all the day long have I been plagued,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 13.</NOTE> <HI>and cha|&s;tened every morning;</HI> and thereupon he was even <HI>ready</HI> to &s;ay, the <HI>words</HI> were at his <HI>tongues end,</HI> and he had much ado to refrain from <HI>&s;aying,</HI> That <HI>he had clean&s;ed his heart in vain, and wa&s;hed his hands in in|nocency.</HI></P>
<P>But now it is meerly our own <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> that cau&s;es us thus to <HI>mi&s;con&s;true</HI> the&s;e <HI>dealings</HI> and <HI>di&s;pen&s;ations</HI> of the <HI>Almighty.</HI> For I pray con&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;olved.</NOTE> is it any <HI>prejudice</HI> to Believers, that God keeps them <HI>low</HI> in this world, <HI>purpo&s;ely</HI> to wean them from it, and to fit them thereby for a better world? Or is it any <HI>priviledge</HI> to others, to be put into <HI>large Pa|&s;tures</HI> here below, on <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> to be <HI>fitted,</HI> and <HI>fatted</HI> thereby for the <HI>day of &s;laughter and de&s;truction?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ioh 21.30.</NOTE> Con|&s;ider of it, and then tel us whether the <HI>former</HI> be any <HI>prejudice</HI> to <HI>Saints,</HI> or the <HI>latter</HI> any <HI>priviledge</HI> to <HI>&s;in|ners.</HI></P>
<PB N="8" REF="10">
<P>Be&s;ides, we <HI>know</HI> that a little in <HI>love</HI> (from <HI>God</HI> e&s;pecially) is better then a <HI>great deal</HI> in <HI>wrath,</HI> and in <HI>anger;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Artabazus apud Xenophon:</NOTE> as he &s;aid in the <HI>Story,</HI> That the <HI>Ki&s;s</HI> the King gave to another, was better then the <HI>Golden Cup</HI> that he gave to him: And as we know that a &s;mal <HI>quan|tity</HI> of <HI>Silver,</HI> is better then a far greater <HI>quantity</HI> of <HI>Copper,</HI> or <HI>Bra&s;s,</HI> or <HI>Iron;</HI> So &s;ays the P&s;almi&s;t, even <HI>A little that a righteous man hath,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Plus percipit boni ju&s;tus unicus, quam omnes &s;imul improbi, ex cunctis facultatibus &s;uis. <HI>Iun. in Loc.</HI> Ju&s;tus facultatibus exiguis contentus, faelicior e&s;t improbo diti&s;&s;imo. <HI>Vat.</HI></NOTE> <HI>it is better then the riches of many wicked,</HI> P&s;al. 37.16.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Secondly, Another <HI>Ca&s;e</HI> wherein our own <HI>igno|rance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> di&s;covers it &s;elf,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of Inequality.</NOTE> and <HI>troubles</HI> us, and <HI>cau&s;es</HI> us to be much <HI>offended,</HI> it is in ca&s;e of <HI>di&s;pro|portion,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop.</NOTE> or very <HI>much inequality:</HI> As when we &s;ee the <HI>Adver&s;aries of Judah</HI> to be <HI>many,</HI> very <HI>numerous</HI> and many,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 11.13.</NOTE> <HI>Ephraim again&s;t Mana&s;&s;eh,</HI> and <HI>Mana&s;&s;eh again&s;t Ephraim,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">9.21.</NOTE> but <HI>both again&s;t Judah;</HI> When we &s;ee whole <HI>multitudes plotting,</HI> and <HI>combining again&s;t a few,</HI> and tho&s;e multitudes <HI>appearing</HI> in them&s;elves, and in outward re&s;pects, to be far <HI>bigger,</HI> and <HI>broad|er,</HI> and <HI>wi&s;er,</HI> and <HI>&s;tronger,</HI> then &s;uch as do <HI>with|&s;tand</HI> them; When we &s;ee a multitude of <HI>Lyons,</HI> as it were, <HI>intending</HI> them&s;elves again&s;t a <HI>few &s;illy Lambs,</HI> this frequently cau&s;es <HI>fears,</HI> and <HI>faintings,</HI> and <HI>de&s;pondencies,</HI> and many <HI>mi&s;carriages</HI> in the world.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;.</NOTE>But this al&s;o <HI>di&s;covers</HI> too much <HI>weakne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> and <HI>incogitancy;</HI> for they that have <HI>God with them,</HI> although they be <HI>never &s;o few,</HI> they can never <HI>be too few:</HI> for its all one <HI>with God to &s;ave with many,</HI> or <HI>with tho&s;e that have no might;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Chro. 14.11.</NOTE> and he once com|plained
<PB N="9" REF="10"> in <HI>Gideons</HI> ca&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Iudg. 7.2.</HI> Etiam c&uacute;m vin|citur multis mi|litibus victoria e&s;t a Deo: At id non ita fit per&s;picuum &s;icu|ti quando cum PARVA MANU ho&s;tes Profligantur: <HI>Pet. Mart. in Loc.</HI></NOTE> That there were <HI>too many for him to give I&s;rael the day;</HI> but he never <HI>complains</HI> that he hath <HI>too few:</HI> God can never be at a lo&s;s, or any lo&s;er that way: for <HI>the le&s;s of the creature, the more of him&s;elf &s;till in all great enterprizes,</HI> who&s;e <HI>Grace is &s;ufficient for us,</HI> and who <HI>delights</HI> to &s;hew forth his <HI>own great Power,</HI> in <HI>our great weakne&s;s; My Grace</HI> (&s;ays he to <HI>Paul) is &s;ufficient for thee;</HI> for <HI>my power is made perfect in weakne&s;s,</HI> 2 Cor. 12.9.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Thirdly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e,</HI> wherein our own <HI>igno|rance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> di&s;covers it &s;elf, and <HI>troubles</HI> us, and is <HI>apt</HI> to cau&s;e <HI>mi&s;carriages,</HI> it is <HI>in ca&s;e of &s;ome very great Extremity:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of &s;ome great extremity.</NOTE> <NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop.</NOTE> As when <HI>Pharoah</HI> had gotten the poor <HI>I&s;raelites</HI> at that mighty <HI>advantage,</HI> that they had <HI>nothing</HI> but the <HI>Red Sea</HI> before them,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Animo &amp; cor|pore anxii pro|pter ho&s;tem pro|pinquum ejula|runt potius quam invoca|runt fide. <HI>Iun. in Loc.</HI></NOTE> and <HI>him</HI> and his <HI>Ho&s;t</HI> behinde them, then they began to be very <HI>much afraid,</HI> and <HI>to cry out unto God,</HI> and to &s;ay unto <HI>Mo&s;es, Becau&s;e there were no Graves in Egypt, ha&s;t thou taken us away, to dye in the wilderne&s;s? Where|fore ha&s;t thou dealt thus with us? It had been better for us to &s;erve the Egyptians,</HI> &amp;c. Exod. 14.11, 12.</P>
<P>But now this al&s;o <HI>bewrays</HI> too much <HI>Ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly among&s;t</HI> us, too much <HI>weakne&s;s</HI> a great deal,<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Re&s;.</HI> Murmur ad|ver&s;us Deum, non excu&s;atur periculis immi|nentibus ubi poti&s;&s;im&uacute;m Di|vinae Bonitatis memoria vigere debcat. <HI>Mu&s;cul. in P&s;al. 106. Gen. 22.14.</HI></NOTE> to be inordinately <HI>fearful</HI> in <HI>ca&s;e of any great extre|mity;</HI> for God by his <HI>Providence</HI> brings his People into <HI>&s;traits,</HI> and <HI>difficulties</HI> and <HI>dangers,</HI> on <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> many times to <HI>take occa&s;ion</HI> from thence to <HI>magnifie</HI> his own <HI>great Power,</HI> and <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and <HI>Goodne&s;s</HI> to|wards them in their <HI>Deliverance. Saints extremities are Gods opportunities,</HI> and in the Mount of <HI>Straits</HI> will he be &s;een. And <HI>evermore</HI> ye &s;hall ob&s;erve a|mong&s;t <HI>them</HI> among the <HI>People of God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Note.</NOTE> That when there is but <HI>A little danger,</HI> then there's but <HI>A little
<PB N="10" REF="11"> Deliverance,</HI> and when there is <HI>A great danger,</HI> then there's <HI>A great deliverance</HI> in the womb of <HI>that danger:</HI> And <HI>God</HI> hath more <HI>ways</HI> then one to <HI>&s;ave</HI> his <HI>People</HI> by, he can do it either <HI>by</HI> means, or <HI>with|out</HI> means, or <HI>above</HI> means, or <HI>contrary</HI> to means, as ye have been often <HI>taught</HI> and <HI>told.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Fourthly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e</HI> wherein our own <HI>igno|rance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> di&s;covers it &s;elf,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Of very much unworthine&s;s. Prop.</NOTE> and troubles us, it is <HI>in ca&s;e of very much unworthine&s;s</HI> felt and <HI>appre|hended</HI> by us. Thus many poor <HI>creatures</HI> rea&s;on a|gain&s;t <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> and think, That <HI>Mercy</HI> belongs not to them, That <HI>Free-grace</HI> cannot &s;ave them, be|cau&s;e of that infinite <HI>un&s;peakable</HI> vilene&s;s that they are now experimentally made <HI>acquainted</HI> with|all: And this al&s;o <HI>cau&s;es</HI> much <HI>diffidence</HI> in other <HI>re|&s;pects,</HI> among&s;t <HI>many,</HI> when they have prayed for <HI>mercies,</HI> they know not how to <HI>believe</HI> that ever they &s;hall <HI>receive</HI> tho&s;e mercies, becau&s;e of that <HI>infi|nite</HI> di&s;proportion that they <HI>finde,</HI> between the great <HI>mercies</HI> of God, and their own pre&s;ent <HI>temper,</HI> of very much <HI>unworthine&s;s.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;.</NOTE>But here al&s;o <HI>we are to note,</HI> That although it be <HI>very good,</HI> and <HI>very nece&s;&s;ary</HI> for people to be <HI>&s;en&s;ible</HI> of, and <HI>experimentally</HI> acquainted with, <HI>their own great unworthine&s;s,</HI> yet this is but a very <HI>weak pre|tence;</HI> yea, to <HI>&s;ay the truth,</HI> it is but a very <HI>ignorant plea</HI> again&s;t the <HI>workings</HI> of God, for the <HI>good</HI> of his <HI>People:</HI> For when God hath a <HI>full intention</HI> to <HI>work,</HI> and to <HI>&s;ave,</HI> or to do any <HI>great thing</HI> for his <HI>People,</HI> it is not any <HI>unworthine&s;s</HI> of theirs that can <HI>po&s;sibly</HI> di&s;appoint, intercept or hinder him. Neither is God any way <HI>moved</HI> to <HI>pity,</HI> or to &s;hew <HI>mercy</HI> by any &s;uch <HI>matter,</HI> as the <HI>creatures worthine&s;s,</HI>
<PB N="11" REF="11"> which indeed <HI>is not;</HI> or if it were,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Etiam in meri|tis no&s;tris nulla fiducia collacan|da, quia nulla plan&egrave; &s;unt, pro|pri&egrave; loquendo. <HI>Polan. Syntag. Theol. l. 9. c. 8.</HI> Gratia non e&s;t Gratia, ni&s;i &s;it omni modo gra|tuita. Solus Chri&s;tus pro nobis &s;u&s;ce|pit fine malis meritis paenam, ut nos per illum &s;inc bonis meritis con&s;equerentur gratiam. <HI>Aug. contr. 2. Epi&s;t. Pelag. l. 4. c. 4.</HI></NOTE> yet would it <HI>prove</HI> too weak a <HI>Load&s;tone</HI> to attract or draw the <HI>infinite love</HI> of <HI>Almighty</HI> God towards it; and there|fore is the Scripture very clear for this, That what|ever God does for his <HI>People</HI> in a way of <HI>love,</HI> he does it <HI>freely;</HI> and nothing more free then his <HI>Grace: I will,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>heal their back&s;lidings, loving them freely,</HI> Ho&s;. 14.4. And <HI>not for your &s;akes do I this, be it known unto you,</HI> &s;ays God: And therefore what|ever my <HI>ways</HI> are, in a way of loving kindene&s;s and tender mercy towards you, yet &s;till be <HI>a&s;hamed and confounded for your own ways, O hou&s;e of I&s;rael,</HI> Ezek. 36.32.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Fifthly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e,</HI> wherein our own <HI>igno|rance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> will be &s;tirring to <HI>trouble</HI> us, and to cau&s;e <HI>mi&s;carriages,</HI> it is <HI>in ca&s;e of aggravated &s;inful|ne&s;s:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of aggravated &s;infulne&s;s. Prop.</NOTE> As now, that a <HI>per&s;on,</HI> or a <HI>people</HI> &s;hould <HI>pro|voke</HI> God to the very <HI>day,</HI> to the very time and <HI>hour</HI> of their <HI>deliverance;</HI> nay, after he hath <HI>&s;aved</HI> them, and <HI>delivered</HI> them over and over, and done <HI>very great things</HI> for them, that <HI>&s;till</HI> they &s;hould go on to <HI>provoke</HI> him <HI>publikely, privately, &s;ecretly, variou&s;ly, frequently,</HI> and that <HI>God</HI> &s;hould <HI>&s;till</HI> go on to do <HI>good</HI> to &s;uch a <HI>per&s;on,</HI> or to &s;uch a <HI>people,</HI> and complete their <HI>deliverances</HI> for them; This is it that <HI>&s;taggers</HI> the knowledge, and the <HI>belief</HI> of many.</P>
<P>But for the <HI>&s;tating</HI> of this al&s;o, to &s;ay indeed,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;.</NOTE> That God might <HI>ju&s;tly</HI> not &s;ave, or not <HI>deliver</HI> &s;uch a <HI>per&s;on,</HI> or &s;uch a <HI>people</HI> any more, that have thus <HI>highly</HI> provoked him; to &s;ay,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iudg. 10.13. P&s;al. 95.11. Heb. 3.11.</NOTE> That he might ju&s;tly <HI>&s;wear in his wrath</HI> again&s;t them, <HI>That they &s;hall never enter into his re&s;t,</HI> in regard of their own <HI>&s;infulne&s;s</HI> and <HI>vilene&s;s,</HI> that's <HI>&s;afe</HI> enough.</P>
<PB N="12" REF="12">
<P>But to &s;ay that <HI>God cannot,</HI> or that <HI>God will un</HI> &s;ave &s;uch a <HI>per&s;on,</HI> or &s;uch a <HI>people,</HI> that <HI>&s;avors</HI> of too much <HI>ignorance,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><P><HI>Rom. 5.20.</HI> Where &s;in a|bounded, Grace did much more abound (<GAP DESC="foreign">) &s;uperabundavit. <HI>Bez.</HI> magis exu|beravit: <HI>Era&s;.</HI> Bonitas invicti non vincitur, &amp; infinita mi&s;cri|cordia non fini|tur. <HI>Fulgent.</HI> Ais mihi; pec|cata peccatis adjeci, &amp; qui jam cadens ere|ctus fucram ite|rum cecidi: &amp; con&s;cientiae meae vulnus jam pene curatum exulce|ratione recru|duit: Quid tre|pidas? Quid ve|rcris? Idem &s;emper e&s;t qui ante curavit medicum non mutabis: expe|rimentum adju|torii non expe|ctat, qui tan|guoris tui novit originem: Unde dudum curatus fueras, inde iterum curaberis. <HI>Ambro&s;. lib. de Paenit. cap. 12. ad init.</HI></P>
<P>Cogita &s;cintillam &s;i in mare ceciderit, non poterit &s;tare, aut apparere&punc; Quantum &s;cin|tilla ad mare &s;e habet tantum hominis malitia, ad Dei clementiam im&ograve; non tantum modo, &s;ed &amp; long&egrave; &s;upr&agrave;: Nam &amp; Pelagus tamet&s;i magnum &s;it men&s;uram recipit: Dei vero elementia [&s;ive mi&s;cricordia] men&s;uram non habet. <HI>Chry&s;o&s;t. de Paenit. Hom. 3.</HI></P></NOTE> and that they know not the <HI>Scri|ptures</HI> that rea&s;on on this maner; for this of old was ju&s;t the <HI>I&s;raelites ca&s;e,</HI> they had &s;ufficiently <HI>provoked God, before</HI> they were <HI>delivered</HI> out of <HI>Egypt,</HI> and <HI>after</HI> they were <HI>delivered</HI> too, when <HI>Pharaoh</HI> pur&s;ued them to the very <HI>brink</HI> of the <HI>Red Sea,</HI> and put them to that great <HI>hazard</HI> there, which we &s;pake of <HI>afore</HI> to you; ju&s;t there, at the <HI>very brink</HI> of the <HI>Red Sea, when God</HI> was about, and <HI>where</HI> he was about, to work out the greate&s;t <HI>deliverance</HI> for them; <HI>Then,</HI> and <HI>There</HI> did they <HI>provoke</HI> him to his <HI>very face,</HI> and &s;in mo&s;t <HI>de&s;perately</HI> again&s;t him. So the P&s;almi&s;t confe&s;&s;es, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 106.7, 8 <HI>Our fathers under&s;tood not thy wonders in Egypt, they remembred not the multitude of thy mercies; But provoked him at the Sea, even at the Red Sea:</HI> And what then? what followed there|upon? Did not <HI>God</HI> drown them in the <HI>Red-Sea,</HI> for this high <HI>provocation</HI> of theirs? No, &s;ays the P&s;almi&s;t, though they <HI>provoked</HI> him at the <HI>Sea,</HI> and even at the <HI>Red-Sea,</HI> yet <HI>Neverthele&s;s he &s;aved them for his Names &s;ake, that he might make his mighty power to be known: He rebuked the Red-Sea al&s;o, and it was dryed up, and he led them through the depths, as through the wilderne&s;s.</HI></P>
<PB N="13" REF="12">
<P><MILESTONE N="6" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Sixthly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e,</HI> wherein our own <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly di&s;covers</HI> it &s;elf, and <HI>troubles</HI> us, it is <HI>in ca&s;e of outward meanne&s;s:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of outward meanne&s;s. Prop.</NOTE> As when we &s;ee <HI>God</HI> pa&s;&s;ing by tho&s;e <HI>In&s;truments,</HI> that to us &s;eem <HI>mo&s;t likely,</HI> and <HI>mo&s;t worthy to be u&s;ed,</HI> and making <HI>choyce</HI> of other <HI>In&s;truments,</HI> that to us &s;eem <HI>mo&s;t unlikely,</HI> and <HI>un|worthy to be u&s;ed,</HI> how <HI>apt</HI> are <HI>men</HI> in &s;uch <HI>ca&s;es</HI> to <HI>de&s;pi&s;e the day of &s;mall things?</HI> To <HI>&s;corn,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zech. 4, 10.</NOTE> <HI>re|proach,</HI> and <HI>calumniate</HI> the great <HI>works</HI> of God in the world, upon this very <HI>ground,</HI> becau&s;e <HI>maintained,</HI> and <HI>upheld,</HI> and <HI>carryed</HI> on, by &s;uch <HI>In&s;truments</HI> as are to them &s;o <HI>de&s;picable,</HI> that they <HI>know not</HI> how ei|ther to <HI>think</HI> well of them, or to <HI>&s;peak</HI> well of them; at this very <HI>day</HI> this lies as a very <HI>great &s;tumbling block</HI> in the way of many.</P>
<P>But let us herein al&s;o be <HI>a&s;hamed</HI> of our own <HI>ig|norance</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> and <HI>know,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Re&s;.</HI> Tunc ver&ograve; po|ti&s;&s;un&ugrave;m clucet Dei Potentia illa omnem ca|ptum humanum &s;uperans, c&uacute;m vel agit ip&s;e quidpiam <GAP DESC="foreign">, vel infirmi&s;&s;imis in&s;trumentis ad res maximas perficiendas utitur. <HI>Beza in 2 Cor. 12.9.</HI></NOTE> That <HI>God (the wi&s;e and the holy God)</HI> he <HI>delights</HI> to bring <HI>great</HI> and <HI>mighty</HI> things to pa&s;s, by very <HI>unworthy,</HI> and very <HI>unlikely</HI> In&s;truments, and &s;uch as men <HI>de&s;pi&s;e,</HI> to the <HI>end,</HI> that his own <HI>Power,</HI> and <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and <HI>Goodne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Glory,</HI> may be &s;o much the more <HI>con&s;picuous,</HI> and <HI>apparent|ly</HI> vi&s;ible in <HI>what he does.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore, O the <HI>&s;everity,</HI> the great <HI>&s;everity</HI> of that <HI>pa&s;&s;age</HI> or <HI>&s;entence</HI> from the <HI>Apo&s;tles</HI> own <HI>mouth,</HI> 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 1.26. <HI>Ye &s;ee your calling, Brethren, how that not many wi&s;e men after the fle&s;h, not many mighty, not many noble are called: But,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>God hath cho&s;en the fooli&s;h things of the world, to confound the wi&s;e; and God hath cho&s;en the weak things of the world, to confound the things which are mighty; and ba&s;e things of the world, and things which are de&s;pi&s;ed hath God cho&s;en; yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought the things
<PB N="14" REF="13"> which are,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Quidnam eaquae non &s;unt appel|lat? eos &s;cilicet qui nibil &s;e ar|bitrantur pro|pter nimian eo|rum exiguita|tem. Sic incre|dibilem &s;ignifi|cavit <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> c&uacute;m per eos qui nihil e&s;&s;e videbantur, magnos &s;ubigeret, <HI>Chry&s;o&s;t. in loc.</HI></NOTE> <HI>that no fle&s;h might glory in his pre&s;ence, but that he that glories might</HI> henceforth learn to <HI>glory</HI> in that <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> alone, <HI>who of God</HI> is made and <HI>appoint|ed to be,</HI> even <HI>All in All</HI> unto us (<HI>Wi&s;dom, Righteou&s;|ne&s;s, Sanctification,</HI> and <HI>Redemption</HI>) as it there fol|lows in the conclu&s;ion of that Chapter.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="7" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Seventhly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e,</HI> wherein our own <HI>igno|rance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> is very <HI>apt</HI> to <HI>trouble</HI> us, and to cau&s;e <HI>mi&s;carriages,</HI> it is <HI>in ca&s;e of &s;ome carnal di&s;appointment of ours:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of Carnal di&s;appoint|ment. Prop.</NOTE> As thus, when <HI>God</HI> is <HI>plea&s;ed</HI> at any time to <HI>&s;tir</HI> up promi&s;ing <HI>In&s;truments</HI> to do us <HI>good,</HI> men that we <HI>hope</HI> will <HI>act</HI> for us, and be a <HI>means</HI> to <HI>deli|ver</HI> us from all <HI>maner</HI> of ba&s;e <HI>bondages,</HI> and unwor|thy <HI>&s;laveries</HI> what&s;oever; in &s;uch a <HI>ca&s;e,</HI> how <HI>apt</HI> are we to <HI>Idolize</HI> &s;uch men, and &s;uch <HI>means,</HI> and to put more <HI>confidence</HI> in them, then in that <HI>God</HI> that u&s;es them, and that <HI>imploys</HI> them, and without whom, <HI>they can of them&s;elves do nothing.</HI></P>
<P>And when we have leaned &s;o hard upon the&s;e Staves, that they begin to <HI>crack,</HI> and <HI>break</HI> under the <HI>weight</HI> of our Carnal <HI>Confidence,</HI> then, when <HI>The Staff of Beauty and Bands</HI> is thus far broken,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Zech. 11.10, 11</NOTE> our <HI>hearts</HI> begin to <HI>flag</HI> and to <HI>fail</HI> us, and the <HI>Staff of our Hopes</HI> that breaks too; and <HI>&s;o fooli&s;h are we, and ignorant,</HI> as to conclude, That becau&s;e we have not <HI>deliverance</HI> in this <HI>way,</HI> that <HI>therefore</HI> we &s;hall never have it in any other <HI>way;</HI> or becau&s;e <HI>God comes not</HI> ju&s;t at our <HI>time,</HI> therefore we are apt to <HI>conclude,</HI> That he will al&s;o <HI>fail us</HI> at his own <HI>time,</HI> which he never <HI>does,</HI> and which is evermore <HI>the be&s;t time.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gods time the be&s;t time.</NOTE></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;.</NOTE>And therefore our <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> would be, <HI>patiently</HI>
<PB N="15" REF="13"> and <HI>quietly</HI> to wait upon <HI>God,</HI> and not to <HI>limit</HI> or confine him, either unto <HI>Times,</HI> or unto <HI>Means,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 30.1<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter">. Lam. 3.26. Hab. 2.3. Heb. 10.36, 37 P&s;al. 27.14. Rom. 4.18.</NOTE> but to leave it wholly unto <HI>him&s;elf,</HI> and unto his own <HI>free di&s;po&s;ition,</HI> to do us good both <HI>when</HI> he plea&s;es, and <HI>how</HI> he plea&s;es, and by <HI>what</HI> means he plea&s;es; and &s;o we &s;hall both <HI>free</HI> our &s;elves from a great deal of <HI>trouble,</HI> and give God the <HI>Glory</HI> that is due unto his <HI>Name,</HI> upon all &s;uch like occa&s;ions.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="8" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Eighthly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e,</HI> wherein our own <HI>igno|rance and folly</HI> is very <HI>apt</HI> to <HI>trouble</HI> us, and to cau&s;e <HI>mi&s;carriages,</HI> it is <HI>in ca&s;e of Humane Improbability:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of Humane improbability.</NOTE> Very <HI>apt</HI> we are to <HI>mea&s;ure God by our &s;elves,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop.</NOTE> and to <HI>conclude,</HI> That becau&s;e we cannot do &s;uch a thing <HI>our &s;elves,</HI> nor the <HI>Creatures</HI> for us, that therefore <HI>God</HI> cannot do it neither: I might give you many <HI>In&s;tances</HI> for this;<NOTE PLACE="marg">In&s;tances of this.</NOTE></P>
<P>You may &s;ee it fir&s;t in <HI>Mo&s;es,</HI> an eminent Belie|ver, <HI>Numb.</HI> 11. from the 18 <HI>ver.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. In Mo&s;es. Num. 11. v. 18. &amp;c.</NOTE> and &s;o on; when God had told <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> there, That he would give the <HI>People</HI> fle&s;h to <HI>eat,</HI> not for one <HI>day,</HI> or two <HI>days,</HI> or five <HI>days,</HI> or ten, or twenty <HI>days,</HI> but for a whole <HI>Moneth</HI> together: Says <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> to God upon this, <HI>The people amongst whom I am are very many,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 21.</NOTE> they are no le&s;s then <HI>Six hundred thou&s;and footmen, and thou ha&s;t &s;aid, I will give them fle&s;h to eat for a whole moneth together:</HI> But <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed Lord,</HI> &s;ays <HI>Mo&s;es, How &s;hall this be done?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 22.</NOTE> <HI>Shall the flocks and the herds be &s;lain for them to &s;uffice them? Or &s;hall all the fi&s;h of the Sea be gathered together for them to &s;uffice them?</HI> Here was <HI>unbelief</HI> now, &amp; a mea&s;uring of <HI>Gods power</HI> thereby, according to the <HI>Creatures power;</HI> a <HI>&s;hort|ning</HI> of the Divine power, or a <HI>&s;hrivelling up,</HI> as it were, of the <HI>Everla&s;ting Arm</HI> of God, according
<PB N="16" REF="14"> to the rate of <HI>Humane Improbabilities;</HI> as may appear <HI>plainly</HI> by the words that follow, <HI>And the Lord &s;aid unto Mo&s;es,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 23.</NOTE> <HI>Is the Lords hand waxed &s;hort? Thou &s;halt &s;ee now whether my word &s;hall come to pa&s;s unto thee, or not.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="In&s;t."> And &s;o when <HI>Eli&s;ha</HI> prophe&s;ied that great <HI>plenty</HI> in the gate of <HI>Samaria,</HI> 2 King. 7. That <HI>Lord</HI> there &s;poken of,<NOTE PLACE="marg">In that great man &s;poken of, 2 Kings 7.</NOTE> on who&s;e <HI>hand,</HI> the <HI>King leaned,</HI> He <HI>an&s;wered</HI> the man of God, and &s;aid, <HI>Behold, if the Lord &s;hould make windows in heaven, might this thing be?</HI> which thing ye know did afterwards come to pa&s;s, and he that <HI>que&s;tioned</HI> it, was trod to <HI>death,</HI> becau&s;e he did not <HI>believe</HI> it, 2 <HI>King.</HI> 7.20.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="In&s;t."> And in like maner did they al&s;o rea&s;on, that are &s;poken of in <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 78.<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 78.</NOTE> <HI>Can God furni&s;h a table in the wilderne&s;s,</HI> &s;ay they? <HI>Behold, he &s;mote the &s;tony Rock indeed, and the waters gu&s;hed out, and the &s;treams over|flowed; But can he give bread al&s;o? Can he provide fle&s;h for his people?</HI> Thus <HI>fooli&s;h,</HI> and <HI>weak,</HI> and <HI>ignorant</HI> are we, in mea&s;uring <HI>Gods &s;trength</HI> by <HI>our own &s;trength,</HI> and Gods <HI>power</HI> by our <HI>own,</HI> when left unto our &s;elves.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;.</NOTE>Not <HI>con&s;idering,</HI> That what is <HI>Impo&s;sible with men, is po&s;sible with God;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 19.26.</NOTE> and that what cannot be <HI>done</HI> by us, may yet <HI>very ea&s;ily</HI> be done by him, who is not onely <HI>Potent,</HI> but <HI>Omnipotent;</HI> not onely <HI>Migh|ty,</HI> but <HI>Almighty.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="9" UNIT="Ca&s;e."> Ninthly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e,</HI> wherein our own <HI>igno|rance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> di&s;covers it &s;elf, it is <HI>in ca&s;e of outward Impunity:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Of outward Impunity. Prop.</NOTE> Men are <HI>apt</HI> to <HI>imagine,</HI> That becau&s;e <HI>Divine Vengeance</HI> does not pre&s;ently <HI>&s;eize</HI> upon them, &s;o &s;oon as ever they have <HI>offended;</HI> becau&s;e <HI>&s;in</HI> and <HI>&s;orrow</HI> do not <HI>immediately</HI> &s;ucceed one any
<PB N="17" REF="14"> other, take one another by the <HI>heel,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Gen. 25.26.</NOTE> as <HI>Jacob</HI> did <HI>E&s;au,</HI> therefore they are <HI>apt</HI> to <HI>think,</HI> and to <HI>con|clude.</HI> That they may &s;till <HI>go on</HI> to do what they <HI>li&s;t them&s;elves,</HI> and that they never need <HI>fear</HI> being <HI>cal|led</HI> to a <HI>Reckoning,</HI> or to an <HI>Account</HI> for any thing: <HI>Becau&s;e &s;entence again&s;t an evil work is not executed &s;peedily,</HI> &s;ays <HI>Solomon,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Hoc magi&s;tra|tus Admonear n&egrave; paenam &s;cele|ribus Ju&s;tam &amp; debitam differant, ni&s;i velint terram &s;celerum veluti diluvio obrui. <HI>Cartwr. in Loc.</HI></NOTE> <HI>therefore the hearts of the &s;ons of men is fully &s;et in them to do evil,</HI> Eccle&s;. 8.11.</P>
<P>Whereas Divine <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Re&s;.</NOTE> that would <HI>teach men</HI> otherwi&s;e, and make them to <HI>under&s;tand</HI> and know, <HI>That Gods forbearance is no acquittance in ca&s;e of Im|penitency:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Quod defertur non aufertur.</NOTE> But that he hath his <HI>times</HI> of <HI>Reckoning</HI> with all men, and tho&s;e times are <HI>&s;tated</HI> too, <HI>&s;et, pre determined;</HI> and look what one <HI>Executioner</HI> either <HI>cannot</HI> do, or <HI>will not</HI> do, that another <HI>&s;hall</HI> do: And therefore, though <HI>Agag</HI> thought, That the <HI>bitter|nes of death had been pa&s;t,</HI> when <HI>Saul</HI> refu&s;ed to <HI>meddle</HI> with him, yet he was <HI>deceiv'd,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Agag</HI> hewed in pieces by <HI>Samuel,</HI> though &s;pared by <HI>Saul,</HI> 1 Sam. 15.</NOTE> for whe~ <HI>Samuel</HI> comes to <HI>deal</HI> with him, he goes <HI>roundly</HI> to work, and <HI>hews him in pieces before the Lord in Gilgal,</HI> 1 Sam. 15.23.</P>
<P>And although <HI>Joab</HI> and <HI>Shimei</HI> did both <HI>e&s;cape</HI> unpuni&s;hed all the <HI>days</HI> of <HI>David,</HI> yet when <HI>David</HI> drew nigh to his <HI>end,</HI> he <HI>calls</HI> for his Son <HI>Solomon,</HI> that was to <HI>&s;ucceed</HI> him, &amp; <HI>gives</HI> him a &s;pecial <HI>charge</HI> concerning tho&s;e two <HI>men; Thou ha&s;t with thee,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>two &s;uch men, Joab and Shimei,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Joab</HI> and <HI>Shi|mei</HI> cut off by <HI>Solomon,</HI> though both unpuni&s;hed all the days of <HI>David,</HI> 1 K. 2.</NOTE> and thou <HI>knowe&s;t</HI> what kinde of men they have been, how <HI>Bold</HI> they have been, and how <HI>Bitter</HI> they have been, and how <HI>Bloody</HI> they have been, and <HI>therefore, do thou unto them according to thy wi&s;dom, and let not their hoar heads go down to the grave in peace,</HI> 1 Kings 2.</P>
<PB N="18" REF="15">
<P>And the Apo&s;tle <HI>&s;peaks</HI> of &s;ome <HI>who&s;e judgement now for a long time lingers not,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Some under the Go&s;pel who&s;e judgement lingers not, neither does their perdition &s;lumber.</NOTE> <HI>and who&s;e damna|tion &s;lumbreth not,</HI> 2 Pet. 2.3. <HI>that is,</HI> It always <HI>lies at the door,</HI> It is always <HI>awake,</HI> and never <HI>a&s;leep;</HI> yea, he &s;ays, that it neither <HI>&s;leeps nor &s;lambers,</HI> but is al|ways in the <HI>greate&s;t readine&s;s</HI> to come and <HI>&s;eize</HI> upon them, when&s;oever God <HI>appoints,</HI> or gives it a <HI>Com|mand</HI> to do &s;o.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">10 <HI>Ca&s;e.</HI> Of Divine So|veraignty.</NOTE>Tenthly and la&s;tly, <HI>Another Ca&s;e,</HI> wherein our own <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> di&s;covers it &s;elf, and is apt to cau&s;e <HI>mi&s;carriages,</HI> it is <HI>in ca&s;e of Divine Sove|raignty:</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Prop.</NOTE> As thus &s;ome <HI>argue</HI> again&s;t the very <HI>Decrees</HI> and eternal <HI>purpo&s;es</HI> of Almighty God, that would <HI>mea&s;ure</HI> every thing that is <HI>&s;aid</HI> to i&s;&s;ue from <HI>God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sic de Dei de|cretis Philo&s;o|phantur, ac &s;i ex|igenda e&s;&s;ent haec in&s;crutabi|lia, ad rationis humanae decem pedam: At&abque; hinc i&s;tae impa|ctae Calvini&s;tis Bla&s;phemiae illos quodvis flagitium afonte Bonitatis arce&s;&s;ere: illos Deum Tiberio truculentiorem, &amp; Diabolo (horrendum dictu) nequiorem efficere. <HI>Dr. Prid. de Ab&s;. Dec. 1: Lect.</HI></NOTE> by the <HI>Line of Humane Rea&s;on:</HI> what &s;ay they, Ca&s;t men away by <HI>ab&s;olute irre&s;pective Decrees,</HI> be|fore ever they had any <HI>being,</HI> before ever <HI>they knew how</HI> to do either <HI>good or evil;</HI> what a cruel <HI>unrea&s;on|able thing</HI> is that? Thus your <HI>Arminian Doctors</HI> are wont to argue in their <HI>Writings.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Re&s;.</HI> Voluit igitur Deus in homini|bus quantum ad aliquos quos praede&s;tinat &s;u|am repre&s;entare Bonitatem per modum mi&s;cri|cordiae parcendo, Et quantum ad aliquos quos reprobat, per modum ju&s;titiae puniendo, &amp; haec e&s;t ratio quare quo&s;dam eligit, &amp; quo&s;dam reprobat &amp; quare hos elegit in gloriam, &amp; illos reprobavit, non habet rationem, ni&s;i divinam voluntatem. <HI>Aquin. 1 part. Sum. Theol.</HI> Qu. <HI>23. Art. 5.</HI> Ita <HI>Zanch. de Nat&punc; Dei. lib. 5. cap. 2. Whitak. Tom. 1. oper. p. 693.</HI> &amp; Alii.</NOTE><HI>But fooli&s;h vain man,</HI> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, <HI>who art thou that di&s;pute&s;t again&s;t God on this maner? &s;hall the thing formed &s;ay unto him that formed it, Why ha&s;t thou made me thus?</HI> Hath not <HI>God</HI> the &s;ame <HI>power</HI> over the <HI>crea|ture,</HI> that the <HI>Potter</HI> hath over the <HI>clay,</HI> to make one ve&s;&s;el to <HI>honor,</HI> another to <HI>di&s;honor</HI> at his <HI>plea&s;ure?</HI> Rom. 9.20, 21.</P>
<PB N="19" REF="15">
<P>And &s;o in <HI>Gods di&s;po&s;ing</HI> of mens outward <HI>E&s;tates</HI> and conditions,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Men not &s;a|tisfied with the Divine So|veraignty of God in the di&s;po&s;ition of their outward e&s;tates and conditions.</NOTE> how do they <HI>therein</HI> al&s;o <HI>murmure</HI> and <HI>repine</HI> at the <HI>Divine Soveraignty</HI> of <HI>God?</HI></P>
<P>If <HI>God</HI> give men <HI>abundance</HI> of outward favors, <HI>Peace,</HI> and <HI>Plenty,</HI> and <HI>Liberty,</HI> and <HI>Pro&s;perity;</HI> if he &s;till go on to heap <HI>Mercy</HI> upon <HI>Mercy,</HI> and <HI>Ble&s;sing</HI> upon <HI>Ble&s;sing, Victory</HI> upon <HI>Victory,</HI> and <HI>Deliverance</HI> upon <HI>Deliverance,</HI> then perhaps he &s;hall have &s;ome &s;mall Thanks <HI>returned</HI> him, &s;ome Lip-labor <HI>&s;ervice</HI> done him, then 'tis <HI>Ble&s;s God and live.</HI></P>
<P>But if <HI>God</HI> turn the <HI>&s;tream,</HI> and carry <HI>things</HI> clean another way, then &s;ays <HI>Jobs</HI> wife to him, <HI>What do&s;t thou &s;till retain thine integrity?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 2.10.</NOTE> <HI>Is it nece&s;&s;ary that thou &s;houlde&s;t &s;till wait upon God?</HI> No; 'tis not Ble&s;s <HI>God</HI> and live then, but <HI>Cur&s;e God and dye.</HI></P>
<P>Have we not <HI>&s;een</HI> a great deal of this <HI>wickedne&s;s</HI> within our &s;elves lately, among <HI>fooli&s;h, ignorant,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">An experi|ment of it a|mong our &s;elves.</NOTE> <HI>bruiti&s;h</HI> people, <HI>vexing,</HI> and <HI>fretting,</HI> and <HI>fuming</HI> at pre&s;ent <HI>Providential</HI> Admini&s;trations, and con&s;e|quently <HI>flying</HI> in the <HI>very face</HI> of <HI>God</HI> him&s;elf, for not <HI>ordering</HI> things ju&s;t as they <HI>would</HI> have him? Hath not this been a <HI>predominant</HI> piece of <HI>folly</HI> a long time <HI>among&s;t</HI> us, to be <HI>di&s;contented</HI> at <HI>In&s;truments,</HI> and to neglect the <HI>chief Agent,</HI> in all our <HI>Troubles.</HI></P>
<P>In <HI>Matth.</HI> 7.6.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Matth. 7 6. opened.</NOTE> our <HI>Savior</HI> there compares <HI>grace|le&s;s</HI> per&s;ons unto <HI>Dogs</HI> and <HI>Swine,</HI> &s;aying, <HI>Give not that which is holy unto dogs, neither ca&s;t pearls before &s;wine:</HI> And truly they are like unto <HI>Dogs</HI> and <HI>Swine</HI> in nothing more, then in <HI>re&s;pect</HI> of <HI>Judgements</HI> and <HI>Mercies;</HI> for when <HI>Mercies</HI> come, then they are like unto the <HI>Swine,</HI> that feeds upon the <HI>Acorns,</HI> and ne|ver looks up to the <HI>Tree</HI> from whence they fell; and when <HI>Judgements</HI> come, they they are like unto
<PB N="20" REF="16"> the <HI>Dog,</HI> that <HI>barks,</HI> and <HI>bites,</HI> and <HI>&s;naps</HI> at the <HI>&s;tone,</HI> and never regards the <HI>hand</HI> that threw it.</P>
<P><HI>And thus you &s;ee</HI> how marvellous <HI>apt</HI> we are to <HI>trouble</HI> our &s;elves, and in &s;everal <HI>Ca&s;es</HI> of this na|ture, <HI>dangerou&s;ly</HI> to mi&s;carry, through our own <HI>ig|norance,</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> and <HI>bruiti&s;hne&s;s,</HI> and not by <HI>rea&s;on</HI> of any the <HI>lea&s;t defect or fault</HI> that is to be found in <HI>Divine</HI> and <HI>Heavenly Di&s;pen&s;ations.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">God not un|righteous, or any way to be blame, how|ever things frame in the world. P&s;al. 145.17. Zeph. 3.5. P&s;al. 92.15.5.4.</NOTE>For however things <HI>frame</HI> in the <HI>world,,</HI> we mu&s;t &s;till <HI>retain</HI> this <HI>conclu&s;ion,</HI> That <HI>the Lord is righteous in all his ways, and holy in all his works;</HI> a <HI>ju&s;t God</HI> he is, and <HI>one that will do no iniquity, neither is there any unrighteou&s;ne&s;s in him: There &s;hall no wickedne&s;s dwell with him,</HI> or &s;o much as come <HI>near</HI> him; he is at an infinite <HI>di&s;tance</HI> from all <HI>unrighteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> yea and he <HI>orders</HI> All things here <HI>below,</HI> according to the <HI>ex|acte&s;t</HI> way of <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> and <HI>Ju|&s;tice,</HI> and <HI>Wi&s;dom;</HI> he is not onely <HI>Righteous,</HI> and <HI>Holy,</HI> and <HI>Wi&s;e,</HI> and <HI>Merciful,</HI> and <HI>Faithful</HI> in <HI>him|&s;elf,</HI> and of <HI>him&s;elf;</HI> but in tho&s;e very <HI>dealings</HI> and Providential <HI>Admini&s;trations,</HI> wherein men appear to be <HI>unrighteous,</HI> and <HI>unholy,</HI> and <HI>unwi&s;e,</HI> and <HI>unmer|ciful,</HI> and <HI>unfaithful,</HI> yet in tho&s;e very <HI>ways,</HI> and <HI>acti|ons,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Magna laus vi|delicet Deo, ut ab informitate &s;e vindicet, for|m&acirc; un&acirc; e&s;&s;e contentum. <HI>Bernard. de con&s;id. l. 5. c. 7.</HI> Nihil in &s;e, ni&s;i &s;e habet. <HI>Idem. ibid.</HI></NOTE> and <HI>dealings,</HI> God is &s;till the <HI>&s;ame,</HI> he <HI>varies</HI> not one jot, but is what he <HI>ever</HI> was, and what he ever <HI>will be</HI> &s;till, no <HI>variablene&s;s</HI> with him, nor &s;o much as any <HI>&s;hadow</HI> of <HI>turning:</HI> In the <HI>unrighteou&s;|ne&s;s</HI> of men, God is <HI>righteous;</HI> In the <HI>prophane|ne&s;s</HI> of men, God is <HI>holy;</HI> In the <HI>follies</HI> of men, God is <HI>wi&s;e;</HI> In the <HI>cruelties</HI> of men, God is <HI>merci|ful;</HI> and In the <HI>treacheries</HI> of men, God is <HI>faith|full.</HI></P>
<P>Nay more, <HI>In tho&s;e very things,</HI> wherein men
<PB N="21" REF="16"> are left unto them&s;elves,<NOTE PLACE="marg">C&ugrave;m igitur Deus &s;it univer|&s;alis provi&s;or totius entis ad ip&s;ius Provi|dentiam pertinet ut permittat quo&s;dam defe|ctus e&s;&s;e in ali|quibus particu|laribus rebus, ne impediatur bo|num univer&s;i perfectum: Si enim omniae ma|la impedirentur multa bona de|e&s;&s;ent univer&s;o non enim e&s;&s;et Vita Leonis, &s;i non e&s;&s;et Occi&s;io Animalium nec e&s;&s;et Patientia Martyrum &s;i non e&s;&s;et Per&s;e|cutio Tyrannorum. <HI>Aquin. 1 Par. Sum. Theol.</HI> Qu. <HI>22. Art. 2.</HI></NOTE> and permitted to be mo&s;t <HI>unrighteous,</HI> and mo&s;t <HI>unholy,</HI> and mo&s;t <HI>unwi&s;e,</HI> and mo&s;t <HI>unmerciful,</HI> and mo&s;t <HI>unfaithful,</HI> many times in tho&s;e very things does the <HI>Righteou&s;ne&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>Holine&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and the <HI>Mercifulne&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>Faithfulne&s;s</HI> of God mo&s;t <HI>eminently</HI> appear, for the good of his own <HI>People;</HI> onely &s;o <HI>fooli&s;h are we, and ignorant, and as &s;o many bea&s;ts before the Lord,</HI> in our not being able to <HI>di&s;cern</HI> this: and <HI>that is it</HI> that <HI>grieves</HI> our poor <HI>hearts,</HI> and that <HI>troubles</HI> our <HI>&s;pirits,</HI> and that <HI>pricks us in our reins,</HI> and that frequently <HI>oc|ca&s;ions</HI> &s;o many woful <HI>mi&s;carriages,</HI> and <HI>mi&s;demea|nors</HI> among&s;t us.</P>
<P>Thus much for the <HI>Explication</HI> of the <HI>Truth</HI> pro|pounded.</P>
<P>The <HI>Application</HI> follows.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Applicat.</NOTE></P>
<P>And according to the Nature and Exigence of this Service, I &s;hall apply it both ways:
<LIST>
<ITEM><HI>Ad Populum,</HI> To The People.</ITEM>
<ITEM><HI>Ad Parliamentum,</HI> To The Parliament.</ITEM>
</LIST></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> To the People fir&s;t. Since our own <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> is really the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> of all that <HI>trouble</HI> that comes upon our <HI>Spirits,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ad Populum.</NOTE> concerning all <HI>maner</HI> of pre&s;ent <HI>Providential</HI> Admini&s;trations,<NOTE PLACE="marg">In all ca&s;es (of difficulty e&s;pecially) Gods wi&s;dom to be admired, and our own folly acknow|ledged.</NOTE> and not any thing either <HI>in God,</HI> or <HI>from God;</HI> This then &s;hould <HI>teach</HI> us in all <HI>Ca&s;es</HI> what&s;oever (and e&s;pecially in <HI>difficult</HI> ca&s;es) &s;till to admire the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> of God, and to <HI>acknowledge</HI> our own folly; for thats the pro|per <HI>Character</HI> of a true Believer, to be &s;till <HI>aba&s;ing</HI>
<PB N="22" REF="17"> him&s;elf, and <HI>lifting up God;</HI> to have <HI>high thoughts</HI> concerning <HI>God,</HI> and <HI>good thoughts</HI> concerning <HI>God,</HI> and low mean <HI>thoughts</HI> concerning <HI>him&s;elf;</HI> yea, <HI>though</HI> there be no <HI>apparent</HI> Rea&s;on <HI>&s;ometimes</HI> above <HI>ground,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ind&egrave; locum non habent contu|macium mur|murae querela|rum, quia quod Deus fieri vo|luit, con&s;tat non aliter fieri de|bui&s;&s;e quam vo|luit. <HI>Ambro&s;. de vocat. Gent. lib. 2. cap. 1.</HI></NOTE> or in open <HI>view,</HI> for that which <HI>God</HI> does, yet <HI>Wi&s;dom is &s;till ju&s;tified of her children;</HI> and all that <HI>God</HI> does mu&s;t needs be <HI>very good,</HI> even <HI>becau&s;e he does it.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore ye <HI>&s;ee</HI> when <HI>David</HI> had <HI>perfectly</HI> recovered <HI>him&s;elf</HI> here, and clearly <HI>overcome</HI> the Temptation that he was <HI>under,</HI> he &s;pends all the re&s;t of the <HI>P&s;alm</HI> in <HI>aba&s;ing</HI> him&s;elf, and <HI>&s;etting</HI> up <HI>God;</HI> I was <HI>fooli&s;h,</HI> &s;ays he, and I was <HI>ignorant,</HI> and <HI>I was as a bea&s;t before thee:</HI> But yet <HI>neverthele&s;s, I am con|tinually with thee thou ha&s;t holden me by my right hand; Thou &s;halt guide me with thy coun&s;el, and after|wards receive me to glory: Whom have I in heaven, but thee? and there is none upon earth that I de&s;ire be|&s;ides thee: My fle&s;h and my heart fails, but God is the &s;trength of my heart, and my portion for ever:</HI> and, <HI>It is good for me to draw near unto him, &amp;c.</HI> And <HI>this may we al&s;o do,</HI> look what <HI>David</HI> here did, the <HI>&s;ame</HI> may we do; it is not onely <HI>lawful,</HI> but <HI>nece&s;&s;ary for us,</HI> to do the &s;ame: we may <HI>blame</HI> our <HI>&s;elves,</HI> but we mu&s;t not <HI>blame our God;</HI> we may <HI>accu&s;e</HI> our &s;elves, but we mu&s;t not <HI>accu&s;e</HI> him; we may utter <HI>complaints to God,</HI> but why &s;hould we <HI>mention</HI> any complaints <HI>again&s;t God,</HI> either directly or indi|rectly?</P>
<P>When ye are <HI>&s;ick,</HI> or when ye are <HI>weak,</HI> or when ye are <HI>poor,</HI> when ye are <HI>wronged,</HI> or when ye are <HI>oppre&s;&s;ed, injuriou&s;ly</HI> dealt with in any <HI>kinde,</HI> ye may <HI>complain to God,</HI> that's very <HI>lawful;</HI> but ye mu&s;t
<PB N="23" REF="17"> not <HI>complain of God,</HI> for that's <HI>very &s;inful,</HI> and in|deed <HI>unrea&s;onable,</HI> for he can do you no <HI>wrong: He is my Rock,</HI> &s;ays the P&s;almi&s;t, <HI>and there is no unrigh|teou&s;ne&s;s in him,</HI> P&s;al. 92.15. He is and can be no otherwi&s;e, then <HI>Righteous in all his way, and holy in all his works:</HI><NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">E&s;t autem Deus per &s;uam e&s;&s;en|tiam bonus &s;icut &amp; per candem lux e&s;t, ergo &s;i|cuti ita e&s;t lux ut tenebrae in eo non &s;int ullae &s;ic ita e&s;t bonus, ut nihil in eo queat e&s;&s;e mali. <HI>Zanch. de Nat. Dei l. 4. c. 1. The&s;. 4.</HI></NOTE> As he is &s;o <HI>light,</HI> that there can be <HI>darkne&s;s</HI> in him, &s;o he is &s;o <HI>good,</HI> that there can be no <HI>evil</HI> in him.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> Secondly, <HI>You may ob&s;erve from hence likewi&s;e,</HI> That a <HI>man</HI> &s;eldom or never <HI>knows</HI> the <HI>bottom</HI> of his own <HI>heart;</HI> he is &s;eldom <HI>acquainted</HI> with the <HI>weak|ne&s;s,</HI> the <HI>folly,</HI> the <HI>ignorance,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The Saints ad|vantage by Temptations.</NOTE> the <HI>bruiti&s;hne&s;s</HI> of his own <HI>Spirit,</HI> till he comes to be <HI>tryed,</HI> and <HI>hard put to it,</HI> in one <HI>ca&s;e</HI> or another. That hour of <HI>Temptation</HI> that was here upon <HI>David,</HI> that drew forth <HI>this humble Confe&s;eion</HI> or <HI>acknowledgement</HI> from him, <HI>So fooli&s;h was I, and ignorant, and even as a bea&s;t before thee:</HI> Tho&s;e <HI>hard Chapters,</HI> and <HI>dark Le&s;&s;ons,</HI> and <HI>ob&s;cure Texts,</HI> that the <HI>People</HI> of God meet with, <HI>&s;ometimes</HI> in the <HI>Word</HI> of God, and <HI>&s;ometimes</HI> in his <HI>Works,</HI> the&s;e things <HI>di&s;cover</HI> to them (and withal they put them upon <HI>admiring</HI>) the <HI>unconceiveable depth</HI> of Gods <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and the <HI>extreme &s;hallowne&s;s</HI> of their own <HI>wi&s;dom.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> <HI>And then in the third place,</HI> We <HI>&s;ee</HI> here likewi&s;e the <HI>ingenuity</HI> of <HI>holy men</HI> formerly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The ingenuity and faithful|ne&s;s of holy men formerly.</NOTE> and how <HI>faith|ful</HI> they were, not onely in keeping a <HI>Regi&s;ter</HI> them|&s;elves, but in giving us a <HI>Regi&s;ter al&s;o,</HI> even of their <HI>failings,</HI> which are a very great <HI>advantage</HI> to us, <HI>if rightly interpreted,</HI> in very many <HI>Re&s;pects;</HI> As in this very <HI>particular</HI> here that we <HI>are</HI> now upon, If &s;uch a man as <HI>David,</HI> when he came to be <HI>tempted,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">In <HI>David</HI> here.</NOTE> if he had <HI>cau&s;e</HI> to &s;ay, <HI>So fooli&s;h was I, and ignorant,
<PB N="20" REF="18">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="21" REF="18">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="22" REF="19">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="23" REF="19">
<GAP DESC="duplicate" EXTENT="1 page">
<PB N="24" REF="20"> and even as a bea&s;t before thee:</HI> And if &s;uch a man as <HI>Agur,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">In <HI>Agur,</HI> Prov. 30.2, 3.</NOTE> a man &s;o eminent for <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> as he was, <HI>if he found cau&s;e to &s;ay,</HI> as <HI>there</HI> he does, <HI>Prov.</HI> 30.2, 3. <HI>Surely I more bruiti&s;h then any man, I have not the under&s;tanding of a man; I have neither learned wi&s;dom, neither have I the knowledge of the holy;</HI> I &s;ay, if <HI>the&s;e men</HI> found &s;o much <HI>fault</HI> with them|&s;elves, and if they <HI>&s;aw</HI> &s;o much <HI>defectivene&s;s</HI> in them&s;elves, in point of <HI>wi&s;dom,</HI> then <HI>what</HI> may we &s;ay of <HI>our &s;elves,</HI> that are &s;o <HI>far &s;hort</HI> of them? How much <HI>more</HI> ought we to be <HI>humbled,</HI> upon the very &s;ame <HI>con&s;ideration?</HI> But I <HI>pa&s;s</HI> that al&s;o, though very <HI>con&s;iderable</HI> by us <HI>at all times,</HI> and e&s;pecially <HI>now at this time,</HI> wherein we are <HI>&s;olemnly</HI> met, to humble <HI>our &s;elves</HI> in the pre&s;ence of the Lord; and I do not know <HI>any thing</HI> that can be mentioned, of a more <HI>aba&s;ing</HI> nature, then this very <HI>Con&s;ideration</HI> that hath now been <HI>&s;ugge&s;ted.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4"> <HI>But in the fourth place,</HI> We <HI>&s;ee likewi&s;e</HI> from hence how far even <HI>good men</HI> may &s;ometimes <HI>fall &s;hort</HI> in their pre&s;ent <HI>Apprehen&s;ions,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Godly men may &s;ome|times fail, and fall &s;hort in their appre|hen&s;ions, con|cerning Di|vine and hea|venly Di&s;pen|&s;ations.</NOTE> concerning Divine and Heavenly <HI>Di&s;pen&s;ations:</HI> If a man had gone to <HI>Da|vid</HI> here, before he <HI>received</HI> &s;atisfaction him&s;elf, to have <HI>con&s;ulted</HI> with him, or to have <HI>taken</HI> his <HI>judge|ment</HI> concerning the <HI>e&s;tate</HI> of the <HI>wicked,</HI> and the <HI>e&s;tate</HI> of the <HI>godly,</HI> in all <HI>likelyhood</HI> he would have given out very <HI>dangerous</HI> coun&s;el; and &s;uch as <HI>Peter</HI> gave unto <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> when he <HI>wi&s;hed</HI> him by all <HI>means</HI> to <HI>decline</HI> his &s;ufferings; when <HI>Chri&s;t</HI> &s;pake of <HI>&s;uffer|ing</HI> many things, and of being <HI>killed,</HI> and <HI>rai&s;ed</HI> again the <HI>third</HI> day, <HI>Far be it from thee Lord,</HI> &s;ays <HI>Peter, this &s;hall not be unto thee,</HI> Matth. 16.22.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Mat. 16.22.</NOTE> How mightily was <HI>Peter</HI> mi&s;taken in that <HI>Ca&s;e,</HI> and <HI>David</HI>
<PB N="25" REF="20"> in this, until he went <HI>into the Sanctuary of God?</HI> But to leave that al&s;o and</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="5"> <HI>In the fifth and la&s;t place,</HI> &s;ince we <HI>&s;ee</HI> clearly from hence, what it is that <HI>troubles</HI> us, and that frequently <HI>cau&s;es</HI> us to <HI>mi&s;carry,</HI> let us therefore con&s;ider of <HI>&s;ome way,</HI> whereby we may get above this <HI>ignorance,</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> and <HI>bruiti&s;hne&s;s</HI> of Spirit, that the <HI>Text</HI> here &s;peaks of; for certainly could we but <HI>do &s;o,</HI> we &s;hould <HI>thereby</HI> ea&s;e our <HI>Spirits</HI> of a great deal of <HI>&s;or|row</HI> and <HI>trouble</HI> that now they are <HI>obnoxious</HI> unto,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The way to ea&s;e our &s;pirits of a great deal of trouble is to get above our own ignoran|ces.</NOTE> by <HI>rea&s;on</HI> of the&s;e <HI>things:</HI> what &s;ays <HI>David</HI> in the <HI>Text</HI> here? <HI>My heart was grieved, and I was pricked in my reins;</HI> and then he goes on <HI>with this</HI> as the <HI>cau&s;e</HI> of it, <HI>So fooli&s;h was I, and ignorant.</HI></P>
<P>Now for the <HI>avoiding</HI> of this among&s;t us, this <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly,</HI> the onely <HI>way</HI> is,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ignorance and folly how to be avoided.</NOTE> to <HI>enquire</HI> after <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and to <HI>&s;earch</HI> for <HI>Under&s;tanding;</HI> accord|ing to that of <HI>Solomon,</HI> Prov. 4.7.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Prov. 4.7.</NOTE> <HI>Wi&s;dom is the principal thing, and therefore get wi&s;dom, and with all thy getting, get under&s;tanding.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Wi&s;dom mo|ved for upon a double Con&s;i|deration.</NOTE></P>
<P>And this I do the <HI>rather</HI> move for, upon a double <HI>Con&s;ideration:</HI></P>
<P><HI>Fir&s;t,</HI> becau&s;e of that <HI>great defect</HI> or want of <HI>wi&s;|dom,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1 <HI>Con&s;id.</HI> From that want of wi&s;|dom that hath always been in the world.</NOTE> that both <HI>hath been and is</HI> apparently to be <HI>&s;een</HI> in the <HI>world:</HI> In all <HI>times</HI> and <HI>ages,</HI> a truly <HI>wi&s;e man</HI> hath been a very <HI>choyce piece,</HI> a very <HI>rare commodity;</HI> Look among the <HI>Jews of old,</HI> that had the <HI>lively Oracles of God</HI> committed to them, and that had more <HI>helps,</HI> and <HI>means,</HI> and <HI>advantages</HI> to make them <HI>truly wi&s;e,</HI> then all the world be&s;ides: and yet it is even <HI>admirable</HI> to con&s;ider, what a <HI>fooli&s;h people</HI> they were, and even <HI>more bruiti&s;h</HI> then the very <HI>bruit creatures:</HI> I&s;a. 1.3. <HI>The Ox knows his owner</HI> (&s;ays
<PB N="26" REF="21"> God by the Prophet there) <HI>and the A&s;s his ma&s;ters crib;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Sen&s;us e&s;t per|&s;picuus ego, in|quit, cos adopta|vi in &s;ilios, &amp; feci populum peculiarem &amp; partem meam, ac funiculum hae|relitatis meae, appellavi&abque; eos primogenitos: illi autem ne hoc quidem fe|cerunt quod bruta faciunt animalia, ut beneficis vince|ventur, &amp; intelligerent Pa&s;torem &amp; Nutritium &s;uum. <HI>Hieron. Com. in loc.</HI></NOTE> <HI>but I&s;rael does not know, my people do not con&s;ider:</HI> And again <HI>Jer.</HI> 8.6, 7. <HI>I hearkned, and heard, but they &s;pake not aright; no man repented of his wicked|ne&s;s, &s;aying, What have I done? Every one turned to his cour&s;e, as the hor&s;e ru&s;hes into the battel; yea, the Stork in the heavens knoweth her appointed time, and the Turtle, and the Crane, and the Swallow ob&s;erve the time of their coming; but my people know not the judgement of the Lord. [Mark,]</HI> My <HI>people;</HI> if it had been any <HI>body</HI> el&s;e, a man would never <HI>have wondred</HI> at it, but that <HI>God</HI> &s;hould &s;ay this of his <HI>own people,</HI> that was very <HI>&s;trange.</HI></P>
<P>And in the <HI>New Te&s;tament,</HI> Jam. 3.13. there where the <HI>Apo&s;tle</HI> falls <HI>profe&s;&s;edly</HI> and <HI>expre&s;ly</HI> upon this point of <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> &s;ays he there, <HI>Who is a wi&s;e man,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Iam. 3.13.</HI> Vera &s;apienti&acirc;, &amp; &s;cienti&agrave; pol|leus, o&s;tendat eam operibus hone&s;tae &amp; man|&s;uetae conver&s;a|tionis, tanquam ejus germanis &amp; perpetuis fructibus. <HI>N. Herming. in loc.</HI></NOTE> <HI>and endued with knowledge amongst you?</HI> As if he &s;hould have &s;aid, If there be <HI>&s;uch a one</HI> to be found among&s;t you, If ye can <HI>furni&s;h</HI> me with &s;uch a man, <HI>let him now &s;tand forth, and &s;hew his face,</HI> and <HI>let him &s;hew out of a good conver&s;ation his works, with meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom;</HI> But the <HI>words</HI> do clearly hold forth thus much <HI>unto him</HI> that under&s;tands them, That it is not <HI>ea&s;ie</HI> to meet with <HI>&s;uch a man,</HI> that is <HI>able to &s;hew out of a good conver&s;ation his works, with meekne&s;s of wi&s;dom.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 <HI>Con&s;id.</HI> From the ma|ny mi&s;takes that are in the world about wi&s;dom.</NOTE><HI>Secondly,</HI> Though there <HI>hath</HI> been, and <HI>is,</HI> &s;o great a <HI>defect</HI> of this <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> abroad in the <HI>world,</HI> yet <HI>few</HI> men think &s;o; mo&s;t men think they are <HI>wi&s;e,</HI> and <HI>that their wi&s;dom &s;hall dye with them;</HI> and <HI>few</HI> there be that will <HI>own</HI> &s;o much <HI>ignorance</HI> and <HI>folly</HI> as <HI>Da|vid</HI>
<PB N="27" REF="21"> does here <HI>a&s;&s;ume,</HI> or take <HI>home</HI> to him&s;elf; but <HI>even they that are mo&s;t fooli&s;h, would yet be reputed wi&s;e.</HI> Its a notable <HI>&s;peech</HI> to this purpo&s;e, that <HI>Zo|phar</HI> hath in <HI>Job,</HI> ye mu&s;t not take offence at the <HI>&s;imilitude,</HI> becau&s;e the holy Gho&s;t u&s;es it; <HI>Job</HI> 11.12.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iob 11.12. cap.</NOTE> &s;ays <HI>Zophar</HI> there, <HI>Vain man would be wi&s;e, though man be born like the wilde A&s;&s;es colt;</HI> that is, though <HI>man by Nature</HI> be not onely <HI>like unto the bea&s;ts that peri&s;h,</HI> as the P&s;almi&s;t &s;peaks,<NOTE PLACE="marg">P&s;al. 49.12, 10.</NOTE> but <HI>like</HI> unto the <HI>dul|le&s;t</HI> of <HI>bea&s;ts,</HI> the <HI>A&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>dulle&s;t</HI> of <HI>A&s;&s;es,</HI> the <HI>wilde A&s;s,</HI> and the <HI>dulle&s;t</HI> of <HI>wilde A&s;&s;es,</HI> the <HI>wilde A&s;&s;es Colt;</HI> yet for all that <HI>vain man would be wi&s;e,</HI> that is, he would <HI>fain</HI> be <HI>reputed &s;o,</HI> though he be <HI>not &s;o.</HI> In other <HI>ca&s;es</HI> men and women are <HI>content</HI> to be <HI>reputed</HI> as they are; they that are <HI>lame,</HI> and they that are <HI>blinde,</HI> and they that are <HI>deaf,</HI> and they that are <HI>dumb,</HI> are willing to <HI>bear</HI> the <HI>burthen</HI> of the&s;e <HI>Infirmities,</HI> and to be <HI>looked</HI> upon as they are: but no <HI>man</HI> would be <HI>reputed,</HI> or <HI>looked</HI> upon as a <HI>fool,</HI> every man would be wi&s;e, as <HI>Era&s;mus</HI> &s;aid in a <HI>Book</HI> that he wrote concerning the <HI>Prai&s;e</HI> of Folly (<HI>Moriae Encomium,</HI> 'tis called) <HI>Male Audit &s;tultitia etiam apud &s;tulti&s;simos,</HI> Folly hath an <HI>ill name,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Era&s;m. Mor. Encom. ad init.</NOTE> even among tho&s;e that are mo&s;t <HI>fooli&s;h:</HI> And this <HI>fre|quently</HI> hinders people from <HI>enquiring</HI> after <HI>wi&s;dom,</HI> even <HI>their want of knowing that they want it;</HI> and therefore it was a <HI>&s;age</HI> &s;peech of one of the <HI>wi&s;er</HI> &s;ort among the Heathens,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Puto multo<GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 letter"> potui&s;&s;e ad &s;api|entiam perveni|re ni&s;i puta&s;&s;ent &s;e perveni&s;&s;e. <HI>Sen. de Tranq. An. cap. 1.</HI></NOTE> <HI>That many might have been wi&s;e, if they had not thought them&s;elves wi&s;e,</HI> if their own <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> had not &s;tood in their <HI>light;</HI> and <HI>Pro|fe&s;sing them&s;elves wi&s;e, they became fools,</HI> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, <HI>Rom.</HI> 1.22. <HI>Now I &s;ay,</HI> Since there is &s;o much <HI>want of Wi&s;dom,</HI> and withal, &s;ince there are
<PB N="28" REF="22"> &s;o many <HI>mi&s;per&s;wa&s;ions</HI> in the world about it, and &s;ince the <HI>thing</HI> is in it &s;elf &s;o <HI>excellent</HI> and &s;o <HI>nece&s;|&s;ary,</HI> that the holy Gho&s;t calls it <HI>The principal thing,</HI> The&s;e <HI>Con&s;iderations</HI> &s;hould <HI>&s;tir</HI> us up to be &s;o much the more <HI>diligent</HI> and <HI>curious</HI> in our <HI>Enquiries</HI> after it:<NOTE PLACE="marg">How to attain wi&s;dom.</NOTE> And for the <HI>Attainment</HI> of it,</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="1" UNIT="Means."> Fir&s;t, ye mu&s;t all be <HI>content</HI> to tread that <HI>un&s;mooth,</HI> and <HI>unplea&s;ant,</HI> and <HI>unbeaten</HI> path of <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> which the Apo&s;tle &s;peaks of, 1 <HI>Cor.</HI> 3.18. he &s;peaks of it there, not without &s;ome &s;eeming <HI>di&s;advantage</HI> as to his hearers the <HI>Corinthians,</HI> who had a great Name for <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> who looked upon <HI>them&s;elves,</HI> and were <HI>looked</HI> upon by <HI>others,</HI> as a very <HI>knowing</HI> people; <HI>Co|rinth</HI> being a rich opulent <HI>City,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Vid.</HI> Al&s;ted. Chronol. Vrb. Antiqui&s;. Aul. Gell. Noct. At. lib. 14. c. 6. Itiner. tot. &s;acr. Script. by <HI>R.B.</HI> printed at <HI>Lon|don, An.</HI> 1629.</NOTE> full of <HI>Goods,</HI> and full of <HI>Gifts,</HI> and full of <HI>Parts,</HI> and full of <HI>Pride,</HI> (which <HI>things</HI> are very <HI>&s;eldom</HI> or never a&s;under in &s;uch like <HI>places</HI>) but yet for all that, &s;ays the Apo|&s;tle to them, in the place <HI>aforementioned, Let no man deceive him&s;elf,</HI> he means in point of <HI>Wi&s;dom;</HI> but, <HI>If any man among you &s;eemeth to be wi&s;e,</HI> or would be reputed wi&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Cor. 3.18.</NOTE> then here's his Rule, <HI>Let him be|come a fool, that he may be wi&s;e.</HI></P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2" UNIT="Means."> Secondly, Pray for wi&s;dom, <HI>Prov.</HI> 2.3, 4, 5. <HI>If thou crye&s;t after knowledge, and lifte&s;t up thy voice for under&s;tanding: If thou &s;eeke&s;t her as &s;ilver, and &s;earche&s;t for her as for hid trea&s;ures: Then &s;halt thou under&s;tand the fear of the Lord, and finde the knowledge of God. Solomon</HI> ye know took this <HI>cour&s;e,</HI> he begg'd of God, <HI>A wi&s;e and an under&s;tanding heart;</HI> he made that the <HI>main</HI> of his de&s;ires,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1 Kings 3.9.4.33.</NOTE> and thereupon <HI>God gave him a large heart for wi&s;dom, even as the &s;and upon the &s;ea &s;hore;</HI> he was able to <HI>di&s;cour&s;e</HI> of every vegitable, from the <HI>Cedar</HI> in Lebanon, to the <HI>Hy&s;ope</HI> that grew out of the <HI>wall.</HI></P>
<PB N="29" REF="22">
<P><MILESTONE N="3" UNIT="Means."> Thirdly, Look into the Word of God, <HI>Search the Scriptures;</HI> it &s;tands upon Record, unto the per|petual prai&s;e and commendation of <HI>Timothy,</HI> That <HI>from a childe he had known the holy Scriptures, which</HI> (&s;ays the Apo&s;tle to him) <HI>are able to make thee wi&s;e unto &s;alvation, through faith in Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> 2 Tim. 3.15.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="4" UNIT="Means."> And this now <HI>brings</HI> me to a fourth particular, which I mention la&s;t of all, as the total &s;um of all; and here I &s;hall de&s;ire both to fix mine own heart, and the Auditory al&s;o, making that the <HI>end</HI> of this <HI>Sermon,</HI> which <HI>either</HI> is (or &s;hould be at lea&s;t) the <HI>end</HI> of <HI>every Sermon;</HI> namely this,<NOTE PLACE="marg">The know|ledge of God in Chri&s;t the end of preach|ing. 1 Cor. 2.2. 2 Cor. 4.5. Phil. 3.8.14.</NOTE> <HI>The knowledge of God in Chri&s;t.</HI> If in all &s;uch <HI>difficult Ca&s;es</HI> as have been already <HI>mentioned,</HI> ye would &s;till <HI>under&s;tand</HI> the minde and will of God, and know <HI>what to do,</HI> then ye mu&s;t of nece&s;&s;ity have <HI>acquaintance</HI> with God, <HI>in and by Je&s;us Chri&s;t,</HI> who is called <HI>ye know, The Coun&s;ellor,</HI> I&s;a. 9 6. and, <HI>The wi&s;dom of God: We preach Chri&s;t crucified,</HI> &s;ays the Apo&s;tle, <HI>to the Jews a &s;tumbling block, and to the Greeks fooli&s;hne&s;s; but unto them that are called, both Jews and Greeks, Chri&s;t the Power of God, and Chri&s;t the Wi&s;dom of God,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Chri&s;tum cru|cifixum vocat primum DEI POTEN|TIAM, id e&s;t, cum qui vir|tute &s;uae Deita|tis potenter di&s;|&s;olvit opera di|aboli, Principem hujus mundi ejecit foras, mundum deni&abque; vicit, ac morti mors fuit, quum potenter ex morte re&s;urrexit: Deinde cundem Chri&s;tum crucifixum vocat DEI SA|PIENTIAM, id e&s;t, cum qui &s;apicuti&s;&s;imum Dei de no&s;tr&aacute; &s;alute con&s;ilium non &s;olum nobis patefecit, ver&ugrave;m etiam exequutus e&s;t. <HI>Pi&s;cat. in loc.</HI></NOTE> 1 Cor. 1.23, 24. And as for all that <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> that men <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;s</HI> out of <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> there is, &s;hall I &s;ay, a <HI>cloud</HI> upon it? yea and <HI>more,</HI> there is not onely a <HI>cloud</HI> upon it, but a <HI>cur&s;e</HI> upon it, and it will <HI>appear</HI> to be no <HI>better</HI> then meer <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s</HI> and <HI>madne&s;s</HI> in the latter end.</P>
<PB N="30" REF="23">
<P>God hath <HI>begun</HI> to do it <HI>already,</HI> and he will do it yet <HI>more abundantly,</HI> he will certainly finde a time to <HI>convert</HI> or turn all that <HI>&s;trength</HI> into <HI>weakne&s;s,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Note.</HI> 2 Sam. 15.31.</NOTE> and all that <HI>wi&s;dom</HI> into <HI>fooli&s;hne&s;s,</HI> that <HI>flows</HI> not <HI>out of the fulne&s;s of Je&s;us Chri&s;t the Righteous.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 1.16. The wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t durable.</NOTE></P>
<P>But now <HI>the wi&s;dom of Chri&s;t,</HI> that's <HI>durable</HI> and <HI>abiding,</HI> and not onely <HI>la&s;ting,</HI> but <HI>everla&s;ting,</HI> and the <HI>longer</HI> ye have it, the <HI>better</HI> you'l like it &s;till; and this is it that <HI>David</HI> was here <HI>po&s;&s;e&s;&s;ed</HI> of, he could not <HI>outwra&s;tle</HI> the <HI>Temptation</HI> he was under, <HI>until he went into the Sanctuary of God;</HI> and though he did go into the <HI>Sanctuary,</HI> yet if God had not <HI>met</HI> him there, and <HI>revealed</HI> him&s;elf to him there, he might have <HI>gone out,</HI> as <HI>wi&s;e</HI> as he <HI>came in,</HI> but he <HI>found God</HI> there, <HI>God</HI> was <HI>with him</HI> there to <HI>re&s;olve</HI> him of his <HI>doubt;</HI> yea, he was with him <HI>continually:</HI> And thats his <HI>relief</HI> here, his <HI>Sanctuary, his Refuge, My heart was grieved,</HI> &s;ays he, <HI>and I was pricked in my reins,</HI> through mine own <HI>ignorance,</HI> and <HI>bruiti&s;hne&s;s,</HI> and <HI>folly;</HI> but then here he <HI>relieves him&s;elf,</HI> even with that which follows, <HI>Neverthele&s;s, I am continually with thee;</HI> and though I &s;hould <HI>chance</HI> to let go my <HI>hold</HI> of thee, yet thou wilt never let go thy <HI>holdfast</HI> of me, <HI>Thou ha&s;t holden me by my right hand.</HI> Thus much to us All.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ad Parlia|mentum.</NOTE>Now to your &s;elves <HI>(Honored Worthyes)</HI> who are the Repre&s;entative <HI>Body</HI> of this whole <HI>Nation,</HI> I &s;hall humbly crave leave to <HI>&s;ugge&s;t</HI> &s;omething from hence unto you.</P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim 3.1. <GAP DESC="foreign"> <HI>Tempora mole&s;ta &s;ive difficilia.</HI></NOTE>The <HI>God</HI> of Heaven, by his <HI>Providence</HI> (the <HI>Wi&s;e</HI> and the <HI>Holy</HI> God) hath called you to a very <HI>great Work,</HI> in a very <HI>difficult</HI> and <HI>dangerous</HI> time: And
<PB N="31" REF="23"> how will ye do to <HI>manage</HI> this great work, if the <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> now &s;poken of, be not <HI>eminently</HI> pre&s;ent with you, if ye be not as <HI>Angels of Light,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 14.17.</NOTE> <HI>to di|&s;cern between Good and Evil?</HI> Surely no other <HI>Gar|ment</HI> would &s;o well <HI>become</HI> you at this <HI>time,</HI> as this of <HI>Wi&s;dom;</HI> We could not have <HI>thought</HI> upon any thing more <HI>&s;uitable</HI> to you, or more <HI>&s;ea&s;onable</HI> for you.</P>
<P>To this purpo&s;e be plea&s;ed to <HI>ob&s;erve,</HI> How the Holy Gho&s;t it &s;elf preaches this <HI>Doctrine</HI> to you, how <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> it &s;elf does in a &s;pecial maner call upon <HI>&s;uch</HI> as you are, <HI>To be in&s;tructed,</HI> and to be <HI>wi&s;e,</HI> &amp;c.</P>
<P>In the &s;econd <HI>P&s;alm,</HI> and at the <HI>beginning</HI> of it,<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 P&s;. br. paraph.</NOTE> the P&s;almi&s;t having there <HI>declared</HI> the <HI>De&s;ign</HI> and <HI>Plot</HI> of great ones again&s;t <HI>God,</HI> and <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The De&s;ign of great ones a|gain&s;t God &amp; Chri&s;t, v. 2, 3.</NOTE> in tho&s;e words, <HI>The Kings of the earth &s;et them&s;elves, and the Rulers take coun&s;el together again&s;t the Lord, and again&s;t his Anointed, &s;aying, Let us break their bonds a&s;under, and ca&s;t away their cords from us:</HI> And having withal declared the <HI>fruitle&s;ne&s;s,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The vanity of that De&s;ign, v. 4, 5, 6.</NOTE> and the <HI>va+nity</HI> of that <HI>De&s;ign,</HI> in &s;aying, <HI>He that &s;itteth in heaven &s;hall laugh; the Lord &s;hall have them in deri+&s;ion: He &s;hall &s;peak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his &s;ore di&s;plea&s;ure; and yet have I &s;et my King upon my holy hill of Sion;</HI> that is, the <HI>De&s;ign</HI> of <HI>God</HI> by <HI>Chri&s;t,</HI> that &s;hall &s;till <HI>pro&s;per,</HI> and take <HI>effect,</HI> and <HI>go</HI> on; and all tho&s;e <HI>great ones</HI> that oppo&s;e it, they &s;hall be mo&s;t mi&s;erably <HI>&s;hattered, de&s;troyed</HI> and <HI>broken.</HI></P>
<P>Hereupon his<NOTE N="*" PLACE="marg">Coun&s;el to &s;uch as are not yet privy to the de&s;ign, to take heed of being drawn in, v. 10, 11, 12.</NOTE> coun&s;el is, at the 10, 11, 12. <HI>Be wi&s;e now therefore, O ye Kings, be in&s;tructed, ye Judges of the Earth: Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoyce
<PB N="32" REF="24"> with trembling; Ki&s;s the Son, &amp;c.</HI> Thus you &s;ee how he <HI>leads</HI> you from the <HI>Streams</HI> to the <HI>Fountain,</HI> from the <HI>Water-cour&s;es</HI> to the <HI>Well-head;</HI> Be <HI>Wi&s;e</HI> fir&s;t, and Be <HI>In&s;tructed,</HI> and as a <HI>means</HI> to bring in <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and <HI>In&s;truction, Ki&s;s the Son, left he be angry, and ye peri&s;h from the Way, if his Wrath be kindled but a little: ble&s;&s;ed are all they that put their tru&s;t in him.</HI></P>
<P><HI>If his Wrath be kindled but a little, &amp;c.</HI> and certainly, his <HI>Wrath is now kindled not a little,</HI> his heart is fully <HI>&s;et,</HI> and <HI>engaged</HI> upon the <HI>bu&s;i|ne&s;s,</HI> and he will have <HI>All down</HI> that are <HI>implacably</HI> bent again&s;t him, <HI>High</HI> and <HI>Low, Rich</HI> and <HI>Poor, Noble</HI> and <HI>Ignoble, Learned</HI> and <HI>Unlearned,</HI> All mu&s;t either <HI>bow</HI> or <HI>break,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Zeph. 2.11.</NOTE> <HI>&s;toop</HI> or <HI>&s;tarve (For he will fami&s;h all the gods of the Earth)</HI> and therefore now, at <HI>this</HI> time e&s;pecially, <HI>Ble&s;&s;ed are all they that put their tru&s;t in him.</HI></P>
<P>And be&s;ides this general Con&s;ideration of <HI>Wi&s;|dom,</HI> as that which would now be very <HI>u&s;eful,</HI> and <HI>profitable,</HI> and <HI>&s;ea&s;onable;</HI> Give me leave to deal a little more <HI>particularly,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Two things before the Par|liament at this time, requiring much exactnes in point of wi&s;dom.</NOTE> and to ob&s;erve, That there are two <HI>Things</HI> before you at this time, that will certainly <HI>require</HI> very much <HI>exactne&s;s</HI> in point of <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> namely, <HI>Liberty</HI> and <HI>Ju&s;tice.</HI></P>
<P>Touching the <HI>former</HI> of the&s;e, matter of <HI>Liberty, The Liberties of the People,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">1. <HI>Liberty.</HI></NOTE> and <HI>The Liberties of the Saints:</HI> I &s;hall not therein <HI>take</HI> upon me to <HI>pre&s;cribe</HI> to you (for that's no part of my <HI>Work,</HI> neither is it any part of my <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> &s;o to do) onely this <HI>experi|mental</HI> ob&s;ervation I &s;hall crave leave to make out from your former <HI>Proceedings,</HI> and it is certainly <HI>very con&s;iderable</HI> by you, That &s;o long as ye took tho&s;e two <HI>things</HI> into <HI>&s;erious</HI> Con&s;ideration, <HI>God|line&s;s
<PB N="33" REF="24"> and Hone&s;ty,</HI> and told us <HI>plainly,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Tim. 2.2.</NOTE> That <HI>under your &s;hadow they &s;hould live;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Lam. 4.20.</NOTE> &s;o long as ye held forth this in your <HI>Declarations,</HI> and went on <HI>accordingly,</HI> I am <HI>per&s;waded,</HI> That <HI>All</HI> that while ye had as much <HI>incouragement</HI> from <HI>God him&s;elf,</HI> and from <HI>good men,</HI> as could be expected or de&s;ired: But when once your <HI>motions</HI> began to be <HI>retrograde,</HI> &amp; the <HI>people</HI> &s;aw clearly,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Dangerous to depart from ju&s;t &amp; hone&s;t Principles, up|on any pre|tence what&s;o|ever.</NOTE> That <HI>divers</HI> among&s;t you <HI>intended</HI> nothing le&s;s, then what was thus <HI>fairly pretended,</HI> then I pray <HI>con&s;ider</HI> what <HI>followed,</HI> Nothing but <HI>trouble</HI> upon <HI>trouble,</HI> and <HI>vexation</HI> upon <HI>vexation,</HI> and <HI>breach</HI> upon <HI>breach,</HI> until ye were almo&s;t even quite <HI>Broken all to pieces:</HI> and therefore when&s;oever <HI>any thing</HI> comes to be <HI>debated,</HI> that concerns <HI>either</HI> of the&s;e, or <HI>both</HI> the&s;e together, The <HI>Liberties of the People,</HI> and The <HI>Liberties of the Saints,</HI> then look up unto God for <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and for <HI>Coun&s;el,</HI> and for <HI>Direction,</HI> (and the Lord give you <HI>Wi&s;dom,</HI> and <HI>Coun&s;el,</HI> and <HI>Direction</HI> in it) For certain it is, That there are hardly any <HI>Rocks</HI> more dangerous to break upon, then the&s;e two are.</P>
<P>Then for that other work of <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Ju&s;tice.</HI></NOTE> that hath been long <HI>expected</HI> from you, and that ye &s;eem now to be fully <HI>ingaged</HI> upon: I &s;hall not therein <HI>pre&s;cribe</HI> to you neither, onely <HI>point</HI> at &s;ome few <HI>things,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Nehem. 6.9.</NOTE> that may (through the <HI>Ble&s;sing of Heaven</HI>) be a means to <HI>&s;trengthen</HI> your hands in that <HI>great</HI> and <HI>nece&s;&s;ary</HI> work.</P>
<P>To this <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> be plea&s;ed to <HI>con&s;ider,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Two things noted concern|ing Iu&s;tice.</NOTE> That <HI>Ju|&s;tice</HI> is both a very <HI>comprehen&s;ive</HI> Vertue, and a very <HI>curious</HI> Vertue.</P>
<P>Fir&s;t,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. A very com|prehen&s;ive.</NOTE> It is a very <HI>Comprehen&s;ive</HI> Grace or Ver|tue.</P>
<PB N="34" REF="25">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><GAP DESC="foreign">. Ati&s;t. lib. 5. Ethic cap. 1. Fr. Eu&s;tach. Tract. 3. de Virt. &amp; vit. Sect. 2. Qu. 1.</NOTE>The <HI>Morali&s;ts</HI> ob&s;erve, That all <HI>Vertues</HI> are con|tained in <HI>Ju&s;tice;</HI> he that would be <HI>Ju&s;t,</HI> He mu&s;t be <HI>Prudent,</HI> and He mu&s;t be <HI>Valiant,</HI> and He mu&s;t be <HI>Temperate,</HI> and He mu&s;t be <HI>Faithful:</HI> In a word, He mu&s;t not <HI>ab&s;olutely</HI> come behinde in any <HI>Excellency</HI> whereof he is capable; <HI>He mu&s;t be a very exact man, that would be a ju&s;t man.</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. A very curious vertue.</NOTE>Secondly, As it is a very <HI>Comprehen&s;ive,</HI> &s;o it is al&s;o a very <HI>curious</HI> Vertue; you have <HI>&s;een,</HI> I &s;up|po&s;e, <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> oftentimes <HI>pictured</HI> with a <HI>pair of Scales</HI> in her hand: and indeed, it is a very fit <HI>Emblem,</HI> or <HI>Re&s;emblance</HI> of the bu&s;ine&s;s: For as in a pair of Scales (if the <HI>Beam</HI> be good, and the <HI>Ballances</HI> even) it is, <HI>ye know,</HI> a very &s;mall <HI>matter</HI> that will turn the <HI>Scales</HI> either this <HI>way</HI> or that <HI>way,</HI> one way or an|other, and &s;o here: Now to <HI>&s;et</HI> and <HI>keep</HI> the <HI>Scales</HI> even, in this high point of <HI>Ju&s;tice,</HI> that they may not <HI>incline</HI> too much on either <HI>&s;ide,</HI> upon any <HI>&s;ini&s;ter indirect Principle,</HI> there are, I <HI>conceive,</HI> three things <HI>e&s;&s;entially</HI> requi&s;ite thereunto:<NOTE PLACE="marg">Three things requi&s;ite to keep the &s;cales even in point of Iu&s;tice.</NOTE>
<LIST>
<ITEM>1. <HI>Wi&s;dom.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>2. <HI>Courage.</HI></ITEM>
<ITEM>3. <HI>The fear of the Lord.</HI></ITEM>
</LIST> <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> to <HI>di&s;cern,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1.</HI> Wi&s;dom. Sicuti e&s;t ali|quando mi&s;eri|cordia puniens ita &amp; crudeli|tas Parcens. <HI>Aug. Maced. Epi&s;t. 54.</HI></NOTE> <HI>Courage</HI> to <HI>execute,</HI> and <HI>The fear of the Lord</HI> to <HI>moderate.</HI></P>
<P>Fir&s;t, there mu&s;t be <HI>Wi&s;dom to di&s;cern,</HI> to &s;ee and fore&s;ee who are fit to be <HI>&s;pared,</HI> and who are fit to be <HI>puni&s;hed;</HI> for there is both <HI>mi&s;ericordia puniens,</HI> and <HI>crudelitas parcens,</HI> as the Father &s;peaks; there is both <HI>A puni&s;hing mercy,</HI> and <HI>A &s;paring cruelty:</HI>
<PB N="35" REF="25"> while&s;t ye <HI>&s;pare</HI> &s;ome, ye may be very <HI>cruel</HI> to others; yea, <HI>let me tell</HI> you, That if ye take not heed, in <HI>&s;paring</HI> &s;ome, ye may be <HI>very cruel</HI> to your &s;elves: ye know what the Prophet &s;aid to <HI>Ahab, Be|cau&s;e thou ha&s;t let go a man out of thy hand, whom I ap|pointed to utter de&s;truction; therefore thy life &s;hall go for his life, and thy people for his people,</HI> 1 King. 20.42.</P>
<P>Secondly, As there mu&s;t be <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> to <HI>di&s;cern,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">2. <HI>Courage.</HI> The Parlia|ment incou|raged to do Iu&s;tice, upon a threefold con&s;ideration.</NOTE> &s;o <HI>Courage</HI> to <HI>execute,</HI> and to <HI>carry</HI> on the work <HI>vigo|rou&s;ly.</HI> And here give me leave to <HI>&s;ay,</HI> and not only to <HI>&s;peak</HI> it, but al&s;o to <HI>prove</HI> it, That you have all the <HI>Rea&s;on</HI> in the world to take <HI>Courage</HI> in this bu&s;i|ne&s;s, &s;ince ye have for <HI>certain</HI> the highe&s;t <HI>Incourage|ments</HI> to it, that can be <HI>expected.</HI></P>
<P>For fir&s;t, con&s;ider,<NOTE PLACE="marg">1. From the Al|&s;ufficiency of God, in his promi&s;e of be|ing with tho&s;e who are with him in this work. 2 Chron. 19.6</NOTE> That the <HI>Work</HI> it &s;elf is <HI>Gods Work,</HI> and that he hath engaged him&s;elf by way of <HI>Promi&s;e,</HI> to be with you in it; as <HI>Jeho&s;haphat</HI> &s;aid unto the <HI>Judges,</HI> when he gave them their <HI>charge,</HI> and it was very <HI>excellent coun&s;el,</HI> even that of his, 2 <HI>Chron.</HI> 19.6. &s;ays he there, <HI>Take heed what ye do, for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgement;</HI> with you, not onely to <HI>ob|&s;erve</HI> you, and to <HI>a&s;si&s;t</HI> you, and to <HI>direct,</HI> and <HI>ble&s;s</HI> you, but al&s;o to <HI>protect</HI> and <HI>defend</HI> you; and if <HI>God be thus with you,</HI> then (as the Apo&s;tle &s;ays) <HI>Who can be again&s;t you?</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 8.31.</NOTE> What can the <HI>Creatures of God</HI> do, to <HI>hurt</HI> or <HI>hinder</HI> you, if the <HI>God of the Crea|tures</HI> will but undertake to <HI>&s;hield</HI> you, and to <HI>protect</HI> you, and to <HI>carry</HI> on his own <HI>Work</HI> by you?<NOTE PLACE="marg">2. From the weakne&s;s of Adver&s;aries, who are to be dealt with in a way of Iu&s;tice.</NOTE></P>
<P>Secondly, <HI>Con&s;ider</HI> the extreme <HI>weakene&s;s</HI> of tho&s;e who &s;hall <HI>oppo&s;e</HI> you in this <HI>Work,</HI> and you &s;hal <HI>finde</HI> them to be <HI>All</HI> &s;o weak, and &s;o feeble, from <HI>Head</HI> to <HI>Foot,</HI> from the <HI>Highe&s;t</HI> to the <HI>Lowe&s;t,</HI> that it is not
<PB N="36" REF="26"> po&s;&s;ible for any man of any Spirit, who hath to deal with them as Adver&s;aries, <HI>to be afraid of their faces.</HI></P>
<P>And that this may appear to be &s;o, Be <HI>plea&s;ed</HI> to ob&s;erve, By <HI>what Metaphors</HI> or <HI>Allu&s;ions</HI> the Holy Gho&s;t &s;ets out <HI>tho&s;e</HI> that ye are to proceed again&s;t in this <HI>bu&s;ine&s;s:</HI> Let me to this <HI>purpo&s;e</HI> but onely <HI>minde</HI> you of two or three <HI>Scriptures</HI> briefly; <HI>Ho&s;.</HI> 10.7. <HI>As for Samaria</HI> (&s;ays God by the Prophet there) <HI>her King is cut off,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Di&s;covered from three places of Scri|pture. 1 Pl. Ho&s; 1 7. 2 Pl. P&s;al. 37.20. 3 Pl. P&s;al 62.3.</HI> Quemadmodum parier vitio&s;us intu&s;&abque; corrup|tus &s;ubito impe|tu cadens non mod&ograve; &s;cip&s;um frangit propri&acirc; mole, &s;ed conte|rit in minutas partes, ira ho&s;ti|bus &s;uis David inexpectatam ruinam denuu|tiat &amp; qu&acirc; pror&s;us conte|rantur. <HI>Calvin. in loc.</HI></NOTE> <HI>like the foam upon the water:</HI> And a|gain, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 37.20. <HI>But the wicked &s;hall peri&s;h, and the enemies of the Lord &s;hall be as the fat of lambs; they &s;hall con&s;ume, into &s;moke &s;hall they con&s;ume away:</HI> And yet farther, <HI>P&s;al.</HI> 62.3. <HI>How long will ye imagine mi&s;chief again&s;t a man? ye &s;hall be &s;lain all of you, as a bowing wall &s;hall ye be, and as a tottering fence.</HI> Now I pray con&s;ider, whether <HI>any</HI> of the&s;e things are in <HI>any</HI> mea|&s;ure to be <HI>feared</HI> by you: What? a Parliament <HI>afraid</HI> of a little <HI>foam</HI> upon the water? Afraid of a little <HI>&s;moke</HI> out of a Chimney? Afraid of a <HI>bow|ing wall,</HI> or of a <HI>reeling fence,</HI> that if ye do not pull them <HI>down</HI> the &s;ooner, they'll break <HI>down</HI> of their own <HI>accord,</HI> and it may be break <HI>down</HI> you too? Do not ye <HI>know</HI> how <HI>dangerous</HI> a thing it is, to <HI>dwell</HI> in an old <HI>ruinous</HI> hou&s;e, that is <HI>ready</HI> to drop down upon your <HI>heads,</HI> without <HI>repairing,</HI> or <HI>rebuilding?</HI> And do ye not likewi&s;e know this to be at pre&s;ent, the &s;ad condition of the <HI>Kingdom?</HI> Hath not long <HI>experience</HI> taught &s;ome of you, how many decayed <HI>ceilings,</HI> and how many <HI>worm eaten beams,</HI> and how many <HI>rotten posts,</HI> and <HI>&s;tuds</HI> there are, that will never <HI>&s;erve</HI> again, that mu&s;t of nece&s;sity be <HI>removed,</HI> or el&s;e all will <HI>come down</HI> about our <HI>ears,</HI> and <HI>de&s;troy</HI> us <HI>utterly,</HI> and it may be <HI>&s;peedily</HI> too? I be&s;eech you, con&s;ider the&s;e things.</P>
<PB N="37" REF="26">
<P>And then in the third place,<NOTE PLACE="marg">3. From former Experiences. Iob 5.19.</NOTE> yet farther to <HI>encou+rage</HI> you, con&s;ider what God hath <HI>already</HI> done for you; how he hath <HI>delivered you in &s;ix troubles and in &s;even.</HI> And take heed, I pray, of <HI>&s;inning</HI> a|gain&s;t your own <HI>experiences:</HI> Con&s;ider the <HI>Fears,</HI> the <HI>Straits,</HI> the <HI>Plots,</HI> the <HI>Difficulties,</HI> the <HI>Dangers,</HI> that are already <HI>pa&s;t and gone: Greater</HI> then which, you can <HI>hardly</HI> meet with again.</P>
<P>Remember but the <HI>wonders</HI> (I had almo&s;t &s;aid, the <HI>miracles</HI>) of this la&s;t <HI>Summer,</HI> when the <HI>Sea</HI> be|gan to <HI>roar</HI> again&s;t you, and when the <HI>Land</HI> threat|ned to <HI>bear you</HI> no longer; when the <HI>Malignant</HI> party in both <HI>Kingdoms</HI> were <HI>de&s;perately</HI> inraged again&s;t you; And I know not how many <HI>thou&s;ands</HI> of them, a &s;econd time up in <HI>arms</HI> again&s;t you, and nothing to <HI>&s;tand, between</HI> you and all this <HI>danger, but a poor de&s;pi&s;ed, unpaid Army;</HI> and yet, what a <HI>wonderful,</HI> what a <HI>&s;udden,</HI> what an <HI>unexpected,</HI> what an <HI>unparalleld deliverance,</HI> did the <HI>Lord work</HI> out for you, <HI>even by that very Army:</HI> And what, <HI>after</HI> all this, and more then all this, that God hath done for you, will ye now <HI>de&s;pond,</HI> and grow <HI>faint in your minde?</HI> Shall your <HI>hands</HI> &s;till hang down,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Heb. 12.12.</NOTE> and your <HI>knees</HI> wax feeble, and your <HI>hearts</HI> wither like the <HI>Gra&s;s?</HI> Will ye &s;till be like <HI>Ahaz</HI> in that ca&s;e,<NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 7.2.</NOTE> wherein it is &s;aid of him, <HI>That his heart was moved, and the heart of his people, as the trees of the wood are moved with the wind?</HI> I be&s;eech you take heed of faithle&s;s <HI>fears,</HI> and of unworthy <HI>de&s;pondencies,</HI> after all the <HI>mighty appearances</HI> of God for you, which have been &s;o <HI>managed</HI> from time to time, as if they had been purpo&s;ely given out, to <HI>incourage</HI> you unto this <HI>work,</HI> and in this <HI>work,</HI> that now ye are in <HI>hand</HI> with.</P>
<PB N="38" REF="27">
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg">3. The fear of the Lord.</NOTE>There is yet a third thing <HI>requi&s;ite,</HI> to keep the <HI>Scales</HI> even in point of <HI>Ju&s;tice;</HI> and that is, <HI>The true fear of the Lord:</HI> Con&s;ider but two or three places of <HI>Scripture</HI> for that, and I have done.</P>
<P>That's a very <HI>con&s;iderable</HI> place to this <HI>purpo&s;e,</HI> 2 <HI>Sam.</HI> 23.1, 2, 3.<NOTE PLACE="marg">2 Sam. 23.1, 2.3. opened.</NOTE> Now <HI>the&s;e are the la&s;t words of David,</HI> The words of <HI>dying men</HI> ye know, they u&s;e to <HI>leave</HI> a very deep <HI>impre&s;sion</HI> upon the <HI>&s;pirits</HI> of tho&s;e that <HI>hear</HI> them: Now (&s;ays that Text) <HI>The&s;e are the last words of David, David the &s;on of Je&s;&s;e &s;aid, and the man who was rai&s;ed up on high, the anointed of the God of Jacob, the &s;weet P&s;almi&s;t of I&s;rael.</HI> The&s;e were his la&s;t words, <HI>The Spirit of the Lord &s;pake by me, and his word was in my tongue. The God of I&s;rael &s;aid, The Rock of I&s;rael &s;pake to me.</HI> And the thing that he comes to at la&s;t, after all this holy <HI>Rhetorick,</HI> and <HI>Gallantry</HI> of <HI>expre&s;sion,</HI> it is this, <HI>He that ruleth over men, mu&s;t be ju&s;t, ruling in the fear of God.</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Exod. 18.21. <HI>Jethroes</HI> advice to <HI>Mo&s;es</HI> con|cerning the choice of Magi&s;trates.</NOTE> And &s;ays <HI>Jethro</HI> to <HI>Mo&s;es, Exod.</HI> 18.21. <HI>Thou &s;halt provide out of all the people,</HI> not onely <HI>able men,</HI> and men of truth, and men that hate covetou&s;|ne&s;s, <HI>but men that fear God</HI> al&s;o; <HI>And let them be rulers of thou&s;ands, and rulers of hundreds; rulers of fifties, and rulers of tens; and let them judg the people, &amp;c.</HI> But <HI>above all,</HI> me thinks, that ca&s;e of <HI>Micaiahs,</HI> 1 <HI>King.</HI> 22.<NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>Micaiahs</HI> ca&s;e, 1 King. 22.</NOTE> is very <HI>con&s;iderable</HI> to this purpo&s;e; and I mention it the rather, becau&s;e it is not <HI>ordinary</HI> to meet with &s;uch a <HI>ca&s;e;</HI> I do not for the pre&s;ent <HI>re|member</HI> the like in all the Book of God again, all things rightly con&s;idered: For if ye read that <HI>Chapter,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">The di&s;advan|tages that he there went up|on.</NOTE> you &s;hall finde, That the <HI>poor man</HI> (one poor &s;ingle de&s;pi&s;ed Prophet) was there upon all maner of <HI>di&s;advantages,</HI> in what he was <HI>going about.</HI></P>
<PB N="39" REF="27">
<P><MILESTONE N="1"> For fir&s;t, he was to <HI>appear</HI> before two <HI>great Kings,</HI> the King of <HI>I&s;rael,</HI> and the King of <HI>Judah,</HI> while&s;t both of them were <HI>&s;itting</HI> upon their <HI>thrones</HI> in their <HI>Parliament Robes,</HI> as awful an outward <HI>appearance,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 10.</NOTE> as mo&s;t ye &s;hall hear, or read of.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="2"> And then &s;econdly, He was to deliver a <HI>me&s;&s;age</HI> clean <HI>contrary</HI> to what no le&s;s then <HI>four hundred Pro|phets,</HI> had endeavored to <HI>prepo&s;&s;e&s;s</HI> the <HI>mindes,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 6. com|pared with 2 Chron. 18.5.</NOTE> and to fore&s;tal the <HI>judgments</HI> of tho&s;e two <HI>Kings</HI> withal.</P>
<P><MILESTONE N="3"> And then in the third place, The <HI>me&s;&s;enger</HI> that came to <HI>call him,</HI> he told <HI>him</HI> what the other <HI>Pro|phets</HI> had done, and <HI>wi&s;hed him</HI> by all <HI>means</HI> to do the like.<NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 13.</NOTE> <HI>The words of the Prophets declare good unto the King, with one mouth;</HI> Do thou &s;o too, &s;ays the man to him, Do not thou by any means occa&s;ion any trouble, or breed any <HI>di&s;turbance,</HI> &s;ay as they &s;ay, and then <HI>all</HI> &s;hall be <HI>well.</HI> Yea, but <HI>all this</HI> would not &s;tir <HI>Micaiah</HI> an <HI>inch</HI> from following <HI>God,</HI> His words are, <HI>As the Lord liveth,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">V. 14.</NOTE> <HI>what the Lord &s;aith unto me, that will I &s;peak:</HI> What tho&s;e <HI>four hundred</HI> men have &s;aid, That's <HI>nothing</HI> to me, &s;ays <HI>Micaiah;</HI> Look what <HI>God</HI> would have me to <HI>&s;peak,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Duty belongs to us, events to God.</NOTE> that I mu&s;t <HI>&s;peak,</HI> and that I will <HI>&s;peak,</HI> come of it <HI>what</HI> will, or let what will be the <HI>fruit</HI> on 't.</P>
<P>But now I pray <HI>ob&s;erve,</HI> what it was that <HI>poized</HI> the <HI>&s;pirit</HI> of the <HI>Prophet</HI> in that <HI>ca&s;e,</HI> or that kept the <HI>Scales</HI> even; and you &s;hall <HI>finde</HI> it to be this, He &s;aw tho&s;e two <HI>great Kings</HI> &s;itting upon their <HI>thrones,</HI> and withal, <HI>He &s;aw the Lord &s;itting upon his throne;</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">Ver&s;e 19.</NOTE> and he was much more <HI>afraid</HI> to offend that one <HI>God,</HI> that <HI>he &s;aw &s;itting upon his throne,</HI> then both the o|ther <HI>Kings,</HI> that he &s;aw <HI>&s;itting upon their thrones.</HI> And <HI>thus</HI> ye &s;ee, how the <HI>fear of the Lord</HI> did <HI>regu|late</HI>
<PB N="40" REF="28"> and <HI>order</HI> the <HI>Spirit</HI> of that <HI>holy man, in a right maner before the Lord.</HI></P>
<P>And I be&s;eech you con&s;ider, That <HI>this</HI> <GAP DESC="illegible" RESP="UOM" EXTENT="1 word"> not onely <HI>u&s;eful</HI> for us; <HI>It is not onely written for our ad|monition,</HI> that <HI>move</HI> in a <HI>&s;phear below</HI> you, and <HI>under</HI> you;<NOTE PLACE="marg">Rom. 15.4.</NOTE> but <HI>It is al&s;o written for your admonition,</HI> as well as for <HI>ours;</HI> and it is <HI>u&s;eful</HI> for you, as well as for us. <HI>What more u&s;eful for tho&s;e that &s;it upon earthly thrones, then to &s;ee God &s;itting upon his throne?</HI></P>
<P><NOTE PLACE="marg"><HI>1 King. 18.3. Neh 7.2. Iob 1.1. Prov. 23.17. Eccle&s;. 11.13. Acts 10.2.</HI> Timor domini Janitor animae, <HI>Bernard.</HI> Quid e&s;t, quae&s;o, Sapientia Chri&s;tiani? Quid ni&s;i timor &amp; Amor Chri&s;ti? <HI>Salvian. ad Eccle&s;. Cathol. lib. 4.</HI> Initium &s;apientiae e&s;t in timore Chri&s;ti, perfectio in amore. <HI>Id. ibid.</HI> Fides facit formidinem. formido facit &s;olicitudinem. Solicitudo facit per&s;everantiam. <HI>Tertul. contr. Marcion.</HI></NOTE>Let me <HI>humbly</HI> commend this as a <HI>remarkable</HI> meditation, from <HI>hence</HI> unto you, That <HI>certainly</HI> under <HI>Heaven,</HI> there is not a more <HI>excellent</HI> qualifi|cation, then for <HI>men</HI> in all <HI>tran&s;actions</HI> of an <HI>high nature, To have their hearts continually over powered, and over awed, with the true fear of Gods holy name and pre&s;ence.</HI></P>
<P>And therefore, that ye may <HI>manage</HI> and <HI>carry</HI> on this <HI>great work</HI> of <HI>Ju&s;tice</HI> and <HI>Judgment,</HI> according to the <HI>will</HI> of <HI>God:</HI> Be&s;ides <HI>Wi&s;dom</HI> and <HI>Courage,</HI> &s;ee to <HI>this</HI> al&s;o,<NOTE PLACE="marg">Iohn 1.16.</NOTE> That out of the <HI>fulne&s;s</HI> of <HI>Christ</HI> ye be <HI>of quick under&s;tanding in the fear of the Lord;</HI> and then <HI>according</HI> to his <HI>example,</HI> who is your <HI>great Lord</HI> and <HI>Ma&s;ter, Ye &s;hall not judge after the &s;ight of the eye meerly, nor reprove after the hearing of the ear; but with righteou&s;ne&s;s &s;hall ye judg the poor,</HI><NOTE PLACE="marg">I&s;a. 11.3, 4.</NOTE> <HI>and re|prove with equity for the meek of the Earth.</HI></P>
<TRAILER>FINIS.</TRAILER>
<PB REF="28" MS="y">
</DIV1>
</BODY>
</TEXT>
</EEBO>
</ETS>
