428 Chap. 39. aAn Expofition upon the Rook of J o s. Vert ;g;, did the Lord cpmmand him to hough their horfes? why might he not preserve them for fervice in his wars ? Doubtlefs it was, left he(hould think that horfes could do the work. And therefore according to this command of God, when David took a tbaufand chariots, and (even hundred horfe-nen from the Moabites, be 'soughed all the chariothorfes, but teferved of them for anhundred char:at, (2 Sam. 8.4..) He would net multiply horfes to himfelf out of the fpoyls of the enemy, left he fhould Seem to trial/ their firength and numbers. Fifthly, Fearnot the Strength of'horfes. The Prophet faith to the fearful (ler. z 2.5.) If thou haft run with foot-men, árd they havewearied thee, how tang thou contend with borfes ? When we have horfes.to contendwith , 'ds a very dangerous confli& . The Prophet byfoot-men and harfc-men,, intends lefier and grea- ter oppofitions ; when we have to deal with leffer difficulties, we have to deal with foot-men, but when with greaser, then with horic-men. If then you have to do with horfes, either in the me- taphor or in plain fenfe, fear them not ;, why ? for they are but creatures; and God whohath ,given them their firength, can take away their flrength, and make them ufelefs (Pfal. 76. 6,) At thyrebuke, O God of Jacob, both the chariot and the horfe are cafl into a deepfleep. Suppofe a multitude of chariots and horfes (hould come again(} ut, yet at the Lords. rebuke,: if he doth but ipeak the word,ifthe God of¡Jacobdo but givea.rebuke, the cha- riots and horfes are laid in a deep fleep;that is,çhey are asnothing or as dead.Death is a deep fleep;littherefore,though horfes have a mighty llreogth, yet be nomore afraid of them than ofthat.whish is dead ; the Lord Godwho bath given them their(lrength,can de- fend us againí their flrengrh,or difablç chem,notwichilanding their Pt engt h,, to¡offend us., Hall thou given the Haile fírength ? Haft thou cloathed his neck with thunder? To cioath with,_ or tobe cloathed with this.or that, is a very commonScriptural phrafe, metaphorically.applyed to things,both corporeal and incorporeal. Of the fir(h fort are all thole places. of Scripture, where man is Paid tobe cloathed with skin and fleJl gob t o. II.) The ftejh with worms and clods of,dug. -(fob 7. 5..) Thefields with flocks (Pfaff, 65. i 3.) The earth with Sea (Pfal. 6.) The Sea with cloudy (Sod 38. 9.) The h eavens with Pack-.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=