140 Ch ',1). kn Expof.tion upon the Bookof O B. Verf. 12. (;a,í F Le) thou fhalt come, and no further, here thoufhalt flop` thy prole wvaDes; fo he faith to all the afiiidions offingle perfons,or whole Nations, hither you fhal't corn; and no further; Only upon hirnfe_r thoufbalt not put forth thine hand. This limitation re- fpeGr:s ; lriri:t The degree or mea titre, thus fir you (hall afflict, that is,in fach a degrce,00 fucii a height, and nohigher.Secondly,, It refp:ds the time, thus far, that is, thus long, fo many y ears, or fo many dayes you #hall have power,and no longer. God leaves not either the meafure,or the time, the degree,or the cont inuance of any afl3iCrion in the hand of Satan or his adherers : We read (Rev. 6. 16.) That the fouls under the Altar cry, How long Lord, how long ? They cry to God how long ? They knew that he only had the time in his hand,he only could tell how long, Sc it fhould be as long as he pleafed, How long Lord? They cryed not to cruel tyrants, how long will ye perfecute ? but Lord,how long w illit be before thou come to revenge ? And fo David, Plal. 3.á. x5, My time it it in thy hand, #peaking ofhis afflidions. There is no afflidion,but it is in the hand of God;for ths continuance ofit, as well asfor the manner ofit : And as no effny, man or devil, can make thy crofs greater, or longer, or heavier ; fo no friend, man or Angel,can make thy crofs lighter, or leflèr, or fhorter then. God himfelfhath appointed ; only uponhimfèlf thou(halt not put . forth,thine band, thou [halt not move an .inch further, not a_ hairs breadth further.As our afflif}ìons for the matter ofthemare by_the wilt ofGod, (as the Apoffle fpeaks, I. Pet. 4, 19. While. youfuffer (faith he) according to the will ofGod : thofe words ac- cording to the will ofGod, note not only the righteoulnefs of fuf -_ fering, that it muff be in a good caufe, but alto the fpring from whence thofe fufferings come, they are Ex voluntate Dei, fo lrs_Beza tranflates it,they are out ofthe will of God.Now I fay, as they areout ofthe will ofGod,or, from the will of God,fpring- Mg from his will, and flowing from his difpenfation of things in.. the matter ofthem) fo alto in every circumftance, God hirnfelf gives thy crois length,and breadth,and thicknefs ; hefills thy cup offorrow,he direéreth howmany drops,to a drop,Ihall be put in- to it, thou ¡halt not have a drop more then God prefcribes, and (Which is more comfortable) knows will be for thy good. Secondly, Obferve, That Satan is boundlefs in his malice to- ward thepeople of God. If God did not let him bounds, he would fet himfelfno bounds ; therefore faith God unto him, Onlyupon himfelf
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