3 s o Chap. 39. 4n'Fxpofmtion upon theBook of j o B. Verf, the rocks. Is it not fo with thofe who without caule purfue good men ? have they not a dangerous fervice of it ? get they not many a fall ? The wicked (faithDavid,Pfal. 37.12,13, ) plotteth,or (as the Margin hath it ) praEhifeth againft the righteous, he gnajheth ; upon bun with hie teeth. But (hall it go well with himwho doth thisevil ? The next wordsanfwer, The Lord fhall laugh at him, for he feeth that his day is coming. What day ? cutely a black day, even the day of his deflruCtìon ; which is yet further confirmed in the 14. and t ç. verfes of the fame Palm. The wicked bave drawn out the (word, and have bent their bow to cafl down the poor and needy,and,to fray fach as be of upright converfetion, or the upright of way. But (hall this end well with them ? or (hall it be well with them in the end ? The next words tell us what their end fhall be, even this, which is a dread- ful end, Their (wordgull enter into their ownheart, and theirbows pall be broken. Sixthly,'Tis obfervedof thefewild Goats, that when they feem to be very near falling from the rock and highplaces,yet they fall not, and that though they fall they take littleor no hurt at all. some fay they have a naturali art to fave themfelves, they know how to fall upon their feet,and fo efcape without harm. This an is applicable to the .cafe of godly men, they are often near falling, yet they do not fall, andwhen they fall, theytake no hurt ; 'they have a divine art to preferve themfelves; and 'cis a truth, that though they do receive hurt in the flefh, yet their fpirit or better part takes no hurt. Though a good man fall (intoaffliaion or temptation )be /ballnot (faith David,Pfal. 37. 24.) be utterly eafi down, for the Lordupholdethhim with hie band. Yea, though he falleth ( faith Solomon, Prov. 24. 16.) feven times (that is, often,into aflliaion, 'cis true alto of his falling into fin ) yet he rifeth again, out of afllietion by deliverance, out of fin by tepee tance.Vtrith refpeet to the former,the Churchwarned her infulting enemy ( Mich. 7.8, ) Rejoyce use againft me O mine enemy; when I fall, I(hall :arife. Babylon (hall fall and rife no more; but though Sion may fall, yet fhe (hall affuredly rife again. Laflly, It is Paidof the wild Goats , that when they receive hurt, they, by a natural inflind}, feek out the herbBetany, grow- ing among the rocks and upon mountains, which givesa prefent and perfeet cure to their bruifes of hurts. Thus when good usen
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=