Annesley - Houston-Packer Collection BX9327 .M6 1664

444 How are we to live by Faith Serm. 18. farting Hole,to be, only a going out of Gods R. lefng, into a t,arm Stan. To think by Sinning to avoidPilfering, is by faving the finger, to make way for a ftab at the heart. To purfue, and obtain Deliverance, by un lawf tai wayes, is to fifh with, and lore, an loch of Gold, and only to catch a Gudgeon. To perferve the Body, but to deflroy the Soul. 3. Stinting,and limiting the Holy one of Ifrael,to this or That particu- lar, means, way, tune, and manner of Deliverance : fo as to fay, if God help not this way, Nothing will do. If not now, never. Faith remem- . Pfal.78.41. h rs, This was the Ifraclites God provokii g Sin. They limited. the Holy One of Ifrarl. Thus Naaman, 2 Kings 5. t t. Bchuld, faith he, 1 Thought He will Curely come out, and fl and, and call, and flrike, and No other 73vcy will ferve Him. He thought Thus, and Thaws, But the man was no lets blind, than Leprew. He was at once both proud and vain in his Imaginations, and He B all know that the Almighty will not fail by his Narrow Compafs, nor dance, its, I may fo fay, at ter his Pipe, Cod bath more wayes to the wood, than One, and alwayes more than many out of it, though we at prcfent fee them not. God bath _Extra- ordinary means to bear up, when Ordinary ones fail. God can turn poyfons into Antidotes Hindrances, into Furtherances : deft ruc-7ions themflves into Deliverances. Has Elijah no meat ? rather than fail, s t Kin.14.6. The devouring Y Ravens flail be his Caterers. Is 7onah in danger of lon.2.10. Drowning ? rather thanßnk, a x Whale flail have commifon, to be both , His j ip and Pilot too, to Pet him fafe on fhore. Faith knows, that an Almighty God, can work, with, yea and without,above, contrary to means, and Both on purpofe many times f ain the pride and glory of force means,that feem moll probable,that we may obferve and adore his wife Providence in finding out, and bleffang the ufe of others more unlikely : that we may prefer his 7ordan, before our Abanah. }. lrnpatient fretting,nurmuring,and quarrelling againit GodsDif- penfations. This was poor 7onah's great fumble. Peevifh man ! doer thou well to be angry, and that with thy God ?yea faith He, to the very death, Jon.4.9. The moll foolifh Anfwer that ever dropt from the mouth of an Holy man. Humble Aaron was better inllrueted. He knew,It was no fafe kicking againl't the Pricks. That Nothing was to be got by f rik. ngagain, by repining again{ God, but more Blows. And therefore when God had killed both his fons at a blow, He humbly '. LEV.ro.s,3. Holds his a peace :his heart and tongue were both filent. True indeed, we may not be fenfelefs and f rapid under fu f ferings. Had all the Mar- tyrs had the dead Pape, before they went to the fake,Their fufferings bad been far lefs Glorious. But yet, though we may not betepid or Stoical,

RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=