S a c r. IX. OfCónvmfaa, or Túrlgitàtrirä Ga. 445 Rom.9.21.The fooliJYenefs of`a manperverteth his way, andhúhearifretteth éìgainl j 'tbeLord: Thus when weby our evil deeds court Gods wrath to fall upon us, we are ready to fay with the Jews, His wafs are not equal; itspatt of the fin and punifhmentwhich the damned have in hell, that they curie, andrage, and blafphemeGod continually : Oh take heed of being like the damned in hell, fretting at that evilI whichGod frames againft thee I Do thou, as Jeremy here; Go down into the field of the potter, and confider the clay there : Remember thy own felf, thy dull, thy clay, and thy fins; all which will niake thee not open thy mouth, becanfe Goddoth it. How thould this humble the proud and lofty fpirits of haughty and obftinate(inners? God he frames his judgements againft thee, andcans thou refufe them ? mutt thou not yield the back to his fcourges and blows ? why fhould a living man complain, a man for the punifhment OfMS fins, Lam. ;. Sixthly; Thisphrefe 'cloth imply,how unwilling God istoexeriifehis wrathWhich 6: he hash purpofed; for here he tells the Ifraelites; He frameth and devifeth evil a- gainf them, aihis purpofe and refolution ; therefore let them return from their evil Ways, to preventthe adtual pouring out of his wrath: Thusin theformer part of the Chapter; God fpeaks to a people about puliingthenj down; before he doth indeed deliroy theme To frame and purpofe evil, is not prefently to bring evil; No; if that people, agaihft whom it is.framed, repent of theirevil prodded, God will of his evil framed and refolved on : Thus God fpeaks Of Whetting hisglillering Sword, before he run it iato the bowels; and he is laid to roar like a Lyon, which givethWarning before be tear in pieces, and therebe none to deliver. The Prophet expreffeth this way of God excellently, whenhaving inítanced in What judgements God purpofed to vifit them with, Andbecaule C *ill do this, prepare et meet thy God, O /frail, Amos 4.1o. Take thou out Savi- ors counfel, s4gree With tby adverfary in the way, before he hale thee to the judge, and thou be condemned, Mat.S.zs. fromwhence chou canit neverbe re: prived e So that this expreflionof framingevils flgtiifietti mtlth love, goodnefeg and unwillingnefsof God ad4ually todeftroy. Seventhly, To frame evil, and devife it , doth excellently reprefent thejúflice of God, that hedealethWith men according to their Wickednefs; for as this,pëop',e y' would not turn to God, but go after the devices and imaginations of their rlvn, heart ; fo Godhe will imagine and devife from his heart evil againft there fo that its a very futable expreflfon to thofe wickedmen. As in another place when the Ifraelites were fo obftinate, that they would walk in the w,a;ywhich they thould choofe ; God to anfwer them, tells them, He would allo chöófe ant theirdelufons, I6 .66.4. fo true is that of Pfal.18. With thefrosaayd thou wilt Jhew thy felf froward: So that this fhould exceedingly humble and, terrifie wicked men, for Godwill Ihape out punithments, and frame out loch judge. teentsi that will be very anfwerable and propórtionab:e io thy wicked- nefs: Eighthly, Toframe evil; anddevife it, implyeth the Wildom of Cult:. Firtt, That he affliets in counfel and deliberation (to (peakafter the manner of men) not in fudden, irregularpaillon;,he frameth it, hedevifethit; Thus when God was todettroy the whole world, he faith Let us godo rn.andfee ehetber it be fo or not Thefe are expreflons to humane cap.atity, CO (hew how Inh and wifeGod is in all the calamitieshebrings ùpor, a people. WhenTheo, dafasts had, in cruel paillon, canted thepeople of Thejalonica to be put to the fword, for fonte offence done againft him, Ambrofrwould not admit him tothe Sacrament, till hehadrepentedo f that erne' paf;oni and withal, tnadëalaw; that when any man was condemned todeath, there thould be thirty daysre- esine between fentence and execution, that 'id nothing might bé done in paf- Secondly, Pods wifdom is feen, in diet its not every kiude of judgement 2, he
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