52 Chap. 3 3. An Expefitiom upon the Book of o 2. Verf. 13, that was in Lebanon fent to the Cedar that was in Lebanon, &c. As if hehad iayd, What a prefumption is it for a thiflle to equall ti felte witha Cedar ? and therefore he advifeth (v. to. ) Thou haft indeedfmitten Edom, and thy heart bath lifted theessp : glory ofthis and tarry athome ; for why fhouldeft thoumeddle tothyhurt, that thou fhouldefi fall , thou and Judah with thee? As if he had . fayd, thou canft get nothing by medling with me but blowes, and moll probably, thine ovine ruine toboote. Now if an earthly King (hall look upon ir as a prefumption for another King his equall indignity ro-contend with him, how much more may the God of heaven, who is King ofKings, andLord of Lords, count it an high prefumption for any man, though the greatefl Kingon earth, to flrivewith him ? Sixthly ,. We ufe to fay to thofewho ail foolifhly, Why doe: you thus ?.And therefore when Elihu faith to job, Why deft thou Itrive agai>:ff him ?: We learne. Strivingwith god is afoolifh and a mo.ff irrationall thing, Sinners are fooles, all # is folly, irrationallity is flampt upon every fin. Striving withGod is a irn fo eminently foolish as may carry away the bell, for foolifhnefie, from all other fins. I will give you three things, to fhewwhy it muff needsbe fo. Frfl , We cannot helve our felve's by firiving with God. Chrif4 argues the folly of inordinate cares from this ground (Math: 6. a7,) which ofyou by taking thought can aide one cu- bit unto hisfiature ? It is not mans care, but the pretence and bleffing of God whichencreafeth both the flature of man and his eflate. Cares may breake our fleepe, yea breake our hearts ,. but they cannot fillour purfes, nor heighten our perlons, either in a natural! or in a,civill notion. Is it not then afoolifh thine ta, take inordinate care ? is it not greater folly to firivewithGod ? Seeing as by caring you cannot get anyof the good things of the world, fo by !hiving withGod, you cannot get otf any of thole evilis which he layethuponyou. Secondly, Isit net a very foo- lifh thing to firive with God, feeing we are fofarre fromhelping our felves out of trouble by ir, that we doe but increafe our trou- ble,and the more entangle our felves by it ? What doe we by f1ru6lingbut Patken the bonds of out affliò1ion, and get w.ari neffea
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