throughNaturall mercies. We reade of Abraham that he had other chldren, it was not fo in regardof them, but Ifaac was the great blef- fling ; it was fo in regardof Ifaac.The childrenofIfrael,they had their dailybread,and their water; their daily provifions, we do not find it in regardof them : but they had Manna from heaven, and they hadwater out of the Rock, they had fpeciall water, fpeciall bread, fo in -regard of thefe. And therefore if you look into Exoa. 15. you (hall find there at the lafi verfe. They came to Elirn, where were twelve Wels ofwater, (according to the twelve Tribes, every Tribe had twelve) and threefcore and ten palm trees, (according toi the number ofthofe that went down to Egypt, ) But now before they had thefe twelve Welsof water,yea reade at the 22, verfe, that they went three dayes in the wildernefe, and found no water, at the 25.verfe, you reade ofwaters they had that were very fweet : but before that, the water was bit- ter, it was called Marah, And when they came to Marah, they could not drankof the waters of Marah, for they were bitter : therefore the name ofit Was called Marah, And the people murmured againfl Mofes, laying, What(hall We drinke.? and he cried unto the Lord, and theLord*wed hima tree, which whenhe had caft into the waters,the waters Were made Tweet. The fpeciall waters and bleffings ofGods people come to them thus. Againe, the fentenceof death may be put upon your mercy in another manshand. It was a great mercy, even to I- faac, that by him all the Nations of the world fhould be bid}; but the fentence of death was put upon this mercy in Abrahams hand, as well as in his owne ; Thou comet} it may be to the preachingofthe word, and thou art conver- ted by fuch a fermon thou doernot fee how the fentence of death was put upon this mercy before thou hada it : may be the (entente of deathwas put upon it in the Minifiers hand, in the Preachers hand , may be hehad laid afide thofe Do- arincs, and thofe Truths , and thought to preach upon ano- ther matter ; may be the fentence of death was put upon thymercy in his hand : fo fometimes it is in another mans hand, X 2 3. A- 2.
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